The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday, vowed to mobilise over 5,000 students and 60 affiliate associations across the country to occupy Kaduna State from September 30 to October 3.
National President of NANS, Aruna Kadiri, who made this disclosure at a press conference held on Sunday, said the decision of the Nigerian students was to counter the June 16 quit notice given to the Igbos living in the North by some Arewa youth groups.
At the conference tagged: “On the unity of Nigeria we stand,” the students’ leader pointed out that there was no group in the country, including the Arewa and Biafra groups, in which students were not members.
He said, “Concerning the June 16, 2017 so-called Kaduna Declaration, NANS wishes to assure all Nigerians living anywhere in Nigeria that there should be no reason to fear or panic. Whereas we are on the alert and ready to protect the Nigerian state, we call on the security agencies to do their work effectively and to justify the huge tax that Nigerians pay for security votes.”
“It is to this effect that NANS shall be occupying the great city of Kaduna on a peace and unity rally starting from September 30 to October 3, 2017, as part of our efforts to demonstrate the oneness of Nigeria.
“The peace and unity rally is to reassure people in the North and, indeed, the country, that the country is united. And it is our intention to occupy the psyche of the country with our message of peace and unity,” Kadiri declared.
“While we are doing this, we need to call on the Federal Government to immediately engage all stakeholders to begin to find a lasting solution to these issues and douse the tension in the country, in between all these agitations, there must be a solution which will keep Nigeria united, just and equitable. This is the stance of NANS. We must begin to engage.
“It is very urgent because we are already in a State of Emergency where youth corps members look for the nearest opportunity to redeploy on security grounds, thereby defeating the nationalist idea of NYSC, and plunging the nation into national panic. Hence, we say, the Nigerian house must not crumble. The signs are ominous and all progressive Nigerians must join in the fight for a united and equitable Nigeria,” he said.
“Today, we have resolved vehemently and consciously to address the nation and traditionally give them direction,” he added.
