The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) leadership has expressed willingness to meet with President Bola Tinubu if necessary, to discuss the reversal of the recent petrol price increase.
NANS Secretary, David Bariereka, disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Bariereka stated that NANS is currently engaging with key petroleum industry stakeholders, including Aliko Dangote, oil marketers, and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), to find solutions to alleviate public burden.
This development follows NANS’ insistence on proceeding with a nationwide protest against the petrol price hike, initially scheduled for September 15, 2024.
Previously, NANS Senate President Henry Okuomo emphasized the union’s capability to hold the government accountable, citing dissatisfaction with the country’s current hardship situation.
He said, “We are not threatening a strike. That is what we are going to do because of the current situation of the country. Nigerians are currently facing a lot. We are facing hardship, and now, the government has increased fuel prices again. This has affected us as students. And as student leaders, we don’t have a choice now but to fight for the people.
“We are occupying one of the largest stakes in the country, having over 40 million Nigerian students in the country.
“With that, we think we should make our voice loud at this time to save the Nigerian people from this undue stress and suffering being put upon them by the government.
“We have determined that on the 15th of this month, no going back. We are hitting the street hard.
‘We are going to demand not only for a reduction in fuel price but for other things that are affecting the nation in general.
‘We are going to do it. We will hit the streets if the government does not reverse most of the hardship policies before then.”
The group earlier called for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
However, in a new development, Bariereka urged students across the country to discountenance calls for a national protest.
He said the association is not yet mobilising for protest.
Bariereka, however, acknowledged the growing hardships faced by Nigerians due to the price increase.
He emphasised that the NANS leadership intends to exhaust all avenues of negotiation and engagement with relevant authorities before resorting to protests.
He expressed the association’s continued commitment to advocating for fair treatment of Nigerian students.
He also pointed out the success of their recent agitation against the electricity bill hike for Band A users, which he said led to the president’s appointment of a committee to explore the use of solar energy in Nigerian universities.
Bariereka urged Nigerian students to remain calm and await clear directives from the NANS national secretariat regarding the next course of action, in response to the fuel price hike.
