By Chikaodi Chukwuleta

The National Association  of Nigeria  Students (NANS), South East Zone F, has called on President Bola Tinubu to look into the process of selection of a substantive Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and appoint the best candidate.

Making the call during a press conference in Awka, Anambra State, on Wednesday, South East Coordinator NANS, Giant  Comrade Charles ljeomah Obinna, said they wanted the fight in Oko to end with the best candidate emerging as the Rector.

He appealed to South East students to apply for Federal Government loan, which he said might be the criteria for job opportunities, noting that the purpose was to help those who could not afford going to school and allivate the sufferings of their parents.

He used the opportunity  to appreciate President  Bola Tinubu for finding  it worthy to appoint Bianca Ojukwu to serve as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, even as he drew his attention to the terrible  state of roads in the South East, which is posing serious  threat to students as several accidents and robberies have been  recorded.

” We appeal  to the South East Governors to totally overhual the NANS transport scheme across the various campuses in the zone to make transportation  easy and affordable for the students and for security  reasons.

“We also congratulate the working Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti for his giant strides in infrastructure and education.

” We also congratulate  the newly appointed  Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, Prof Okeudo, the Pro-Chancellor, Rt.Hon. Agwu .U. Agwu and members of the governing council. We are fully with them and would continue to support  them.”

The association however, commended the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Charles Soludo,  for his giant strides in education and infrastructure, especially the free education he offered  from nursery to secondary  schools, and appealed to him, to look at transportation scheme of students and support those buses with the inscription of NANS UNIZIK, Chukwumeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and Federal Polytechnic, Oko ,noting that any little thing he removes from the transportation scheme will help a lot in the lives of the students.

“We have gone to the Commissioner for Transport and ARTMA but did not succeed. We need negotiation with the Governor to allivate the sufferings of the students.”

They commended the new Minster of Education, Hon. Tunji Alaussa, and declared their readiness to work with him for the overall welfare of students, and appreciated Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwaifuru, for providing an enabling environment for them during the convention that brought them to power.

Ijeomah commended the National President  of NANS, Lucky Omoneye, for his efforts in repositioning of NANS to an ideal students union that will always protect the interest of the students.

“We also appreciate the Senate President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, for using his office to push for overall welfare  of Nigerian students.”

Earlier in his speech, NANS National Director, Sports, Comrade Okafor Ernest Obinna, equally called on President Ahmed Tinubu, to appoint the substantive  Rector for Federal Polythenic, Oko, based on merit to ensure sanity, academic  excellence and turnaround for the institution which has been held down by those who do not mean well for the progress  and the  well- being of both  staff and students.

In their separate speches,  Vice President and Coordinator, National Association of Polytechnic  Students, Giant Comrade Umezulorah Chukwuemeka, and National Vice President,  National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students, Gaint Comrade, Obi Christian  Chukwunecherem, thanked President Tinubu for the students’ loan scbeme,  adding that it shows that he has the interest of the students at heart.