By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) and National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS Ogun JCC) have condemned the Ogun State Chapter of the Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP) in the state, describing their activities as unnecessary distractions to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
NAOSS and NANS – JCC lamented that the Otunba Femi Soluade – led CUPP had abandoned constructive criticism and elected to keep itself busy with tirades, unfounded allegations and unwarranted vituperations against the state governor, ostensibly in vain efforts to distract him.
In a joint press conference addressed on Wednesday by Comrade Kehinde Thomas
(NAOSS National President) and
Comrade Gabriel Francis
(NANS Ogun JCC Chairman) at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Abeokuta, the two students bodies urged CUPP to desist from being a puppet of failed politicians to cast aspersion on the state governor.
They noted that there are always appropriate channels of communication that should be explored and used by the CUPP to convey its observations and grievances to a political party or government in power instead of resorting to incivility and inciting disaffection against the government.
The students cited the CUPP’s expressed intention to take legal action against the governor for alleged dehumanization of civil servants and stripping them of the rights to land housing that were initially allocated to them during the administration of the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo.
Reckoning them as some of the recent “laughable” acts of the CUPP, they described the people behind the group as “charlatans,” “political Jobbers” and members of deregistered political parties.
The students also urged the Governor not to lose grip on the steering wheel of progress and continue on the steady path of socio-economic development of the state, even as they advised him to disregard Ogun CUPP’s unfounded allegations.
He said, “CUPP in Ogun in recent times has turned itself into a puppet being strung by a political ventriloquist, who pays them to do his own dirty job.
“To NANS Ogun and NAOSS National this is not only laughable but a low one from a group of charlatans.
“With these allegations highlighted by the CUPP, it clearly showed that the body has lost direction and has become rudderless. Oftentimes, the state government has clarified its intention on the reinvention of the Government Residential Areas (GRAs) in the state, particularly the one at Ibara, which is the flagship.”
Continuing, the students added: “NANS Ogun and NAOSS National hereby frowns at, and condemns the activities of the CUPP in the state as we view it as nothing but a distraction to the governor. The state under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun has witnessed tremendous turn-around, especially in the area of education.
“It, however, is a disservice by the CUPP populated by members of political parties that have been deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to engage in dishonorable acts.
“To this end, we want to call on Soluade and his fellow political jobbers to desist from being puppet of a failed gubernatorial candidate to cast aspersion at the Ogun State governor.
“We believe that there are channels of communication that are supposed to be used by the group to convey its observations and grievances to a political party in power. This, NANS Ogun and NAOSS National believes, should be a path CUPP would have followed instead of being allowed to be used as attack dogs.
“Leadership and members of the group should desist from brewing disaffection against the governor and eschew statements capable of tampering with the peace and harmony being enjoyed in the state.
“They should know that the people of Ogun State are smart, intelligent and discerning, who can see through layers of lies being peddled by them.
“We, hereby, urge Governor Dapo Abiodun not to lose grip on the steering wheel of progress and continue on the steady path of socio-eco comic development of Ogun State. NAOSS National and NANS Ogun wants to equally urge him to disregard Ogun CUPP’s unfounded allegations as political ranting.”
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