Budget: NANS Threatens to Occupy NASS Over Lawmakers Alleged Plans to Sabotage EEP

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, December 25th, 2017

Photo: Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki

From Ignatius Okpara

ENUGU, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) -The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it is seriously mobilizing millions of Nigerian students to occupy the National Assembly (NASS) complex over alleged plan by some of the Federal Lawmakers and “powerful unpatriotic cabal” to sabotage the Energizing Education Programme (EEP) in 2018 Appropriation Bill.

The EEP is a programme designed by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to ensure 24hours, seven-day a week supply of electricity to tertiary institutions in Nigeria and their environs.

AFRICAN EXAMINER reports that the programme, which is funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Government, would ensure alternative, renewable and cleaner energy.

A statement made available to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday by the NANS National President Comrade Kadiri Aruna, noted that due to the constant engagement of leadership of the student body with the Federal Government on averting some incidents leading to increase in tuition fees, the FG graciously introduced

the EEP in the 2018 Appropriation Bill.

“Curiously the information at the disposal of the leadership of NANS is that some powerful unpatriotic cabal is set to sabotage the programme under the spurious claim that their constituencies have no electricity and as such, tertiary institutions of learning should not have.

The statement read in part: “Our question is: are these tertiary institutions situated in

Cameroun, Niger, Chad or Benin Republic? the truth is that they are demanding the contract for the job or a truncation of the programme,”

According to the NANS leader, “it is inconceivable that any group of Nigerians, especially legislators can for any reason vow to truncate this programme simply because their business interest is not served.

“Consequently, NANS shall be occupying the National Assembly on her

resumption in January.

“NANS will remain there until the students and Nigerians, especially parents who bear the burden of school fees and other problems associated with service delivery to their children and wards receive the assurance of the National Assembly that this timely intervention called EEP is not truncated.” he stated .

He however, vowed that the leadership of Nigerian students cannot stand aside and look; “enough is enough, for this sabotage of our national aspirations as students”

Aruna also pointed out that EEP programme would solve the problem of the increment in school fees in tertiary institutions and “provides 24/7 electricity supply to tertiary institutions and university teaching hospitals as well”.

The EEP Programme is equally a component of the Economic Recovery and

Growth Plan (ERGP) and is incorporated in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved Power Sector Reform Programme (PSRP).

He insisted that though, the programme would be done in phases, but it remained one of the best ways of solving the power problem in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and making them real centres of excellence due to 24 hours electricity” he stated.