By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Olushola Ladoja, has vowed that any University Vice Chancellor found culpable in the current allegations of corruption, diversion and fraud rocking the disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund(NELFUND) must be shown the way out of the university system.
Ladoja who expressed concern that some schools were allegedly misappropriating student loan funds in their care, confirmed that they had evidence to that effect, stressing that they were also assured that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was already investigating it.
The NANS President made this known to newsmen while clarifying recent developments within the education sector and to state the official position of the NANS leadership on matters of national and students’ interest.
He said the students body was desirous of seeing and ensuring the removal of any vice chancellor involved in any dubious engagement on the NELFund loan.
He explained that meetings had been scheduled between Students Union Presidents and NANS executives on the matter too.
He said, “Some days ago, we got a press release that some schools are collecting NELFund and they are not disbursing it to students. Immediately, I took two actions, I called my PRO to do a press release on that.
“Within two hours, the Chairman of the House Committee on NELFund called us through one of his aides. He saw our press release and asked if we had any evidence. We told him, ‘yes’.
“He explained to us too that the team had already involved ICPC to look into it, and that we should give them time. I also met with the NELFund Chairman to let him know what we are ready to do.”
Ladoja, however, accused the nation’s opposition politicians of instigating ‘false’ factions within the student body to destabilise its leadership.
He specifically cautioned former Vice President and the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, against what he termed orchestrated political interference in student leadership.
Ladoja also accused former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore of sponsoring factionalism within the student body to undermine the Union.
The Daily Crucible reports that the statement followed the emergence of a factional NANS President, Atiku Isah, and his subsequent allegation of assault and abduction against Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu.
Isah had claimed that Seyi Tinubu offered him N100 million to promote the his father’s administration, an offer said to have been declined.
NANS president, however, accused Isah of receiving funds to destabilise the association and falsely claim its presidency.
Ladoja denied the existence of any faction within NANS, suggesting that claims to the contrary are politically motivated by opposition parties to undermine the association.
“I can tell you that there is no faction in NANS. Because quote me anywhere, that the Atiku Isah, the only two times I’ve seen him in my life, I’ve talked to him, whenever I see him, he addresses me as Mr. President.
“So what are we saying? I just discovered, if you look at the picture going around in the media yesterday, you see that he has been snapping around, meeting with stakeholders of the opposition party.
“That is to tell you they want to use him. I told you earlier, I don’t know if you remember, one of the reasons for faction in NANS is political engraving. It has shown that it’s the opposition parties that want to use him, maybe because of what I just told you now, that they see that some of us are commending the good work and the policy of education Mr. President is doing,” he said.
Ladoja said instead of always antagonizing government, there is nothing wrong in commending government policies that are beneficial to the people, especially to the students so as to encourage them to do more.
He noted that NANS appreciates good policies and rejects being used for political agendas.
He also dismissed rumours of violence involving him, asserting that such events would have caused a national uproar if they were true.
