The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it is ready to meet President Bola Tinubu if necessary to press for the demand for a reversal of the recent price hike of Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.
National Association of Nigerian Students (NAANS) Secretary, David Bariereka, made the revelation in an interview with Channels Television in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, the student body is currently in talks with key players in the oil industry, including businessman Aliko Dangote, oil traders, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, to find a solution that will ease the burden on the people.
The development came after the student body insisted on carrying out planned nationwide protests against the hike in the price of petrol.
The group had earlier set the date for the nationwide strike as September 15, 2024. NANS Senate President, Henry Okuomo, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily last Friday, said the union is unhappy with the country’s current predicament and is holding the government accountable.
He said, “We are not threatening a strike. That is what we are going to do because of the current situation of the country. Nigerians are currently facing a lot. We are facing hardship, and now, the government has increased fuel prices again. This has affected us as students. And as student leaders, we don’t have a choice now but to fight for the people.
“We are occupying one of the largest stakes in the country, having over 40 million Nigerian students in the country.
“With that, we think we should make our voice loud at this time to save the Nigerian people from this undue stress and suffering being put upon them by the government.
“We have determined that on the 15th of this month, no going back. We are hitting the street hard.
“We are going to demand not only for a reduction in fuel price but for other things that are affecting the nation in general.
“We are going to do it. We will hit the streets if the government does not reverse most of the hardship policies before then.”
The group had earlier demanded the removal of Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
But in a new development, Baliereka called on students across the country to reject the call for nationwide protests. He said the association is yet to mobilize for protests.
However, Mr. Baliereka acknowledged the growing hardships faced by Nigerians due to price hikes.
He stressed that the NANS leadership will exhaust all avenues of negotiation and liaise with the relevant authorities before resorting to protests.
He expressed the association’s continued commitment to advocating for fair treatment of Nigerian students.
He also noted the success of a recent campaign against the increase in electricity tariffs for Band A users, which he said led to the President appointing a committee to study the use of solar energy in Nigerian universities.
Baliereka called on Nigerian students to remain calm and await clear instructions from the NAS national secretariat on how to respond to the spike in fuel prices.
