The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students has vowed to disrupt the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan over the alleged non-inclusion of students after repeated appeals for students’ representation in the board meetings.
The President of NANS, Lucky Emonefe, specifically warned the NELFUND management that the scheduled board meeting on Monday would not be held as NANS would mobilise en masse to ensure that no meeting holds unless the students’ representation is secured.
The student body conveyed this in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and copied to the Chairman of NELFUND, Jim Ovia.
A copy of the letter sighted by PUNCH online on Saturday in Abuja was titled: ‘Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board Meeting – No Student, No Meeting!’.
The letter partly read, ‘We are writing to express our deep concern and outright discontent over the exclusion of students from the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. The National Association of Nigerian Students as the apex student body representing over 50 million students across the country, will not stand idly by while critical decisions affecting our future are made in our absence.
‘As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans. This fund was created for Nigerian students and we will have a voice in how it is managed.
‘We are demanding not requesting the immediate inclusion of a student representative in this board meeting. Failure to accommodate this legitimate and reasonable demand will result in the total shutdown of the meeting venue by Nigerian students. NANS will mobilise en masse to ensure that no meeting holds unless our representation is secured.
‘This is not an appeal; it is a final warning. Nigerian students have exercised patience for too long. We refuse to be spectators in matters that directly affect our education, future, and welfare. No student, no meeting. We expect a prompt response addressing this demand without delay.’
