NANS dares UNIPORT to resume without expelled students

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has dared the management of the University of Port Harcourt to resume academic activities at the university without the expelled students.

The students were expelled in December 2016 for various offences such as assaulting a female lecturer, being part of cult groups and disrupting a congress meeting.

Akolo Raymond Eggon, senior special adviser on media to the president, in a statement, narrated how NANS president, Aruna Kadiri, tried to “broker peace with the UNIPORT authority for the reinstatement of the 23 expelled students”.

The statement read: “The NANS president, Comr. Aruna Kadiri, begun a two-day working visit to the University of Port Harcourt on Monday, January 9, 2017 as part of effort to ensure reinstatement of the 23 expelled students of the aforementioned citadel of learning.

“After a successful meeting with the affected students, the NANS president met with the security agencies (DSS and Police) to discuss ways of peaceful resolution. Thereafter the NANS leadership intended meeting with the VC who bluntly denied their request.

“We have met with the security agencies trying to resolve this issue but the Vice Chancellor has bluntly refused to sit with us. Since this is the case, we dare them to resume 29th of January without the affected students,” said Kadiri, who was furious by the VC’s refusal of negotiation, according to the NANS statement.

“It is on record that all the higher institutions that has demonstrated this tendencies of victimization of the unsuspecting Nigerian students never lived in stable or balance nature to narrate their ordeal.

“It is conspicuously convincing that UNIPORT is also heading towards the same direction by calling the wrath of the Nigerian students which must be given in no distance time.

“Soon, the NANS president shall embark on aluta journey to FUT Minna to also address the issue of the expulsion of 700 students of the school. We are bent on resolving all issues affecting our fellow students.”