The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has threatened to mobilize a peaceful protest if the federal government fails to address the lingering scarcity of premium motor spirit popularly known as petroleum as well as the hike in the prices of electricity across the country.
The Bauchi State coordinator of the student association, Comrade Usman Abubakar Mansur, made their position known on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre.
Mansur, who lamented that the situation directly affected the students’ ability to pursue their education, called on the federal government to expedite actions towards alleviating the problems.
“This dire situation directly affects the ability of students to pursue their education effectively and contributes to the overall deterioration of our quality of life,” he said.
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According to him, the association also frowned at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL)and Nigeria Electricity Generation Company for their inability to meet the demands of the citizens.
While emphasising that NANS would continue to advocate better policies aimed at ensuring the welfare of students, Mansur also urged government and relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability in management of resources.
“As representatives of the Nigerian Students Community in Bauchi State, we remain resolute in our commitment to advocating the right and welfare of students across the nation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nigerians yesterday rejected the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s reduction of the tariff payable by Band A customers from N225/kWh to N206.8/kWh.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, electricity consumers and civil society organisations, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, demanded a reversal of the hike to the subsidy era tariff.
The new tariff announced on Monday came 33 days after the NERC raised the electricity tariff for Band A customers from N68/kWh to N225/kWh, representing about a 240 per cent increase.
Subsidy on electricity was withdrawn completely from the tariff of consumers in the Band A category, which constitutes about 15 per cent of the total 12.82 million power consumers across the country.