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UniPort Student Leader Emerges NANS Senate President

Newly-elected President of the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Maxwell Nyanabo, has paid a courtesy visit on the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, with a request for assistance from the Administration to set up a functional Secretariat in the University.

Briefing the Vice-Chancellor on the election that brought him to the exalted office, penultimate week, the new NANS Senate President disclosed that an emergency meeting of the body in UniPort, impeached his predecessor based on a grave allegation against which he was apparently unable to defend himself before a duly constituted Disciplinary Committee set up for the purpose.

Mr. Nyanabo, who is also the Interim Student Union President of UniPort, told the Vice-Chancellor that he emerged Senate President following a competitive electoral process involving aspirants from other universities, requested the authorities to organize a reception to mark his historic victory at the poll and also serve as a mark of recognition of his new position in national Student Union politics.

Receiving the new Senate President, Professor Ajienka congratulated him for achieving the landmark feat, promising that the Administration would continue to work in concert with well-intentioned student leaders to promote robust unionism that is directed to positive ends.

“In this University, we insist on dealing with our students through the Dean of the Student Affairs Department. I, therefore, advise that NANS should always deal with the duly accredited Student Union of each university to ensure that there is no confusion in the order of reporting and responding to your legitimate concerns as a body. People call me everyday claiming to be this and that officer in NANS,” the Vice-Chancellor told the new Senate President, who was accompanied on the visit by other officers of NANS.

Expressing displeasure over the existence of what he described as “several NANS with conflicting motives and pecuniary interests,” Professor Ajienka advised Nigerian students to refrain from engaging in partisan politics as a way of maintaining their neutrality and credibility as a body.

“Let me also advice students to address politicians with utmost decorum and respect that they deserve as elected and appointed national leaders. You must be very careful in your utterances because students are not politicians. See the positions you are currently privileged to occupy in the Union as a learning ground for future leadership roles to your fatherland. The President of the Federal Republic, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Governors, Legislator, Religious Leaders and Captains of Industry—all played significant leadership roles in the Students Union at some point in this University—and have brought immense pride to their Alma Mater and country in their current positions”, he reminded them.  

 Urging Nigerian Students to resist the temptation of being used by unpatriotic elements to foment trouble in the country, which he said was passing through a very difficult phase of national development, the Vice-Chancellor appealed to students to show maturity at all times as they seek relevance through unionism, without contributing to heating up the polity.

Also present at the event was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Ethelbert Nduka.

 

By Williams Wodi

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