The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Danielson Bamidele Akpan has explained that the reason why the association retracted from staging the proposed protest on Friday was to avoid possible bloodshed which may likely emanate from the activities of miscreants allegedly hired to hijack the proposed protest.
He added that since there would obviously be a clash, he would not want any of the students to get injured or lose his life in the course of the protest.
Addressing the press on Friday at Ewet Housing in Uyo after the botched protest, Akpan said that they would not be deterred by the activities of the miscreants in fighting for the course of the students.
According to him, “We are supposed to protest this morning (Friday) but only to discover that government sent miscreants to stop us and they were fully armed.
“As peace loving and law abiding people, particularly we don’t want to lose any of our members, we had to retract. We still want the whole world to know that the government does not want to tow the part of honor by acceding to the demands of the students, but refusing what he agreed to pay students when he assumed office in 2015.
“What we are after is the interest of our students, which is to get our bursary and other entitlements and no amount of coercion and intimidation can make us chicken out.”
The Students President said they were armless and non-violent in their approach and wondered why Gov. Emmanuel has chosen not listen to their plights but rather has chosen to politicize their genuine course.
His words, “We have neither attacked nor insulted the governor, all that we are agitating for is our right and entitlement. But they are trying to politicize our genuine course. They are towing the part of APC and PDP. No body should attach us with any political party.
“We are non partisan and neutral, all we want is to get our entitlements and after that we will rest. What is due to us should be given to us. A father will always give bread to the son and never a stone. But our father, gov. Emmanuel has chosen to give us stone instead of bread.”
Akpan said that they were giving the government few more days to look into the matter saying that the issue also affects their parents who are retirees in the state.
He further added that gov.Emmanuel should as a matter of urgency pay up the bursary, scholarship and grants (law and medical students) owed students in his tenure before the commencement of elections else, Nigerian students of Akwa Ibom origin will do the needful.
“We are insisting that bursary and scholarship is our right, and we must get it and we give the governor next few days that if action is not taken, we will do the needful.
“Gov.Emmanuel must pay the students before elections otherwise the Nigeria students of Akwa Ibom will do the needful. They will make him know that no Governor or president should make himself an emperor. Even when we issued an ultimatum to President Buhari, he called us and told us his plans, he immediately swung into action based on our advise.
“We were not there to fight Mr. President, but to address some issues as we are not here to fight Gov. Emmanuel but it is unfortunate that he has chosen us in the path of fight.
“The huge amount he paid into the hands of miscreants to stop us would have been used to pay genuine students of Akwa Ibom indigene. These monies would have been enough to pay the bursary, but it is quite unfortunate that gov. Emmanuel has chosen parrallel way.” He said
The students were however seen at a spot in their numbers singing solidarity song and carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Pay us our bursary,’ ‘Gov. Emmanuel pay attention to education.”
Meanwhile we have earlier reported that the commissioner for Information, Charles Udoh had said that the state government is working out modalities to ensure that Akwa Ibom students receive their bursary.
