The students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, arm of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have frowned at the state of education in the country, and vowed to fight any hike in tuition fees.
In a statement issued, Friday, the students said they plan to mobilise over 47 million students to ensure maximum youth’s participation beyond next year’s elections.
“Our attention has been drawn (to) plans by the federal government to increase tuition across all federal institutions, we will resist any attempt to make education unaffordable to the masses,” said the statement signed by Emmanuel Damilare, Interim Publicity Secretary, APC-Campus Connect at the university.
The students expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, describing it as a strategy to disenfranchise the populace.
“It could be recalled that the PVCs distribution has been postponed in nine local government areas in Lagos from November 7-9 according to a press statement released by Adekunle Ogunmola, the resident electoral commissioner of INEC in Lagos State who claimed that they had to cancel the distribution in those areas because they are yet to take delivery of their PVCs,” said Mr. Damilare.
“In Rivers State, the distribution of PVCs was also postponed in seven local government areas, though no specific reasons was given but we foresaw the same technical manoeuvre by the commission.
The students called on Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman, to resign if he is incapable discharging his duties at the commission.
“We can’t imagine if this are roadmaps to 2015, but we are prepared to resist any forces that propagates peaceful, free and fair election, as we will just not vote but protect our votes,” said Mr. Damilare.
The students blamed the insecurity in the country’s North-East on the indifference of President Goodluck Jonathan.
They also condemned the withdrawal of the police officers attached to Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“As students of history, we clearly know that all arms of government (has) their functions and it wouldn’t be fair on democracy if we can’t distinguish between the military era and the former, the misuse of power on the instruction of the Presidency… Of what business does the police have to interpret the law?
“At the alarming state of the nation marred by insecurity, the main reason of withdrawing the security operative attached to the number four citizen of the federal republic of Nigeria is to expose him to risk which outcome can be dangerous, we will definitely hold the IG (Inspector General) for any risk on the Speaker at the House of Representatives.”
