National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday apologized to the re-appointed Governing Council Chairman of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state, Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa for the embarrassment it caused his person and the Institution by a purported press statement published in some National Dailies allegedly authored by Nigerian representative of the Association of West African Students Union, AWASU, Comrade Sheriff Zadok.
NANS maintained that their Leader Comrade Zadok was quoted out of contest in the reports and therefore should be discountenanced, adding that it never gave its approval for any such press briefing to any of its chapters,’ therefore nullifying its content’.
Senate President , Comrade Donald Onukaogu and Communiqué drafting Committee Chairman, Comrade Chidi Obasi Michael who signed the communiqué absolved NANS of ever disrespecting or condemning the person of Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa , the former Governing Council Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
NANS added that it would cooperate with Dr Uzuakpunwa if reappointed again by Federal Government as Governing Council Chairman considering his wealth of experience as a former Rector of the same Institution.
NANS Communiqué issued at the end of its Extra-Emergency Stakeholders meeting held yesterday in Awka Anambra state capital over the press statement on the re-appointment of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, therefore tendered an unreserved apology to Dr Uzuakpunwa for the ill feeling the publication caused him.
Part of the Communiqué by NANS signed by Senate President ,Comrade Donald Onukaogu and Communiqué drafting Committee Chairman, Comrade Chidi Obasi Michael read thus,’’ …on the issue of Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa, we wish to categorically state here again that our Leader Comrade E.E Zadok was quoted out of contest in some media Houses. As such while apologizing to Dr Uzuakunwa, we implore the press to be more responsive in their reportage.
‘’NANS is concerned and convinced that transformation of political pluralism in the Students’ Unionism needs to be encouraged ,supported and sustained by all who believe in social change including our Institutions; we advise all zonal union to distance itself from the politics of appointing governing council as we cannot partner with such a man who uses and dumps our leaders/ stakeholders.
‘’ NANS is aware that the progress of work in every Tertiary Institution depends largly on the Cooperation of the head of the Institution and the Chairman of the Governing Council, and to an extent the secretariat of the senate did not approve or rectify any of its zones to brief the press on such concerning the appointment of governing council by state or federal government.
‘’NANS recalled that in April 2013, the Assembly of Heads of Students’ Union and apex body of students (NANS) adopted a declaration on supportive measures to the progress of our Institutions and advised that the fundamental changes taking place in other developed world should guide students’ Union especially the local Union collective thinking about the challenges they face and options available to them to move the union and our campuses forward.
‘’NANS further recalled that the 66th extraordinary Assembly of the Heads of Students’ Union and apex body of students (NANS) adopted the fight against corruption declaration which set a time table for the progress of the union and the campuses , however did not in any way condemn the person of Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa , the former Governing Council Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko but that if re-appointing him again to the said school would slow the pace of work in the campus /school , FG should have a re-think but if otherwise , we would cooperate with him if reappointed again considering his wealth of experience as a former Rector of the same Institution.
‘’NANS is conscious of the structural development which are taking place in the Federal Polytechnic, Oko and its impact on our students and mindful of the serious multifarious problems which are crippling our local Union’s economic survival and progress’’.
It was reported last week that the move by the federal government to reappoint Dr. Anene Uzuakpunwa as the chairman of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, has heightened tension in the polytechnic as the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, threatened to make the institution ungovernable if Uzuakpunwa was reappointed.
It was gathered also that Federal Government announced the reconstitution of the governing councils of federal educational institutions last week, but that of Oko Polytechnic was conspicuously missing because it was gathered that a very influential godfather in the country was insisting that Uzuakpunwa should be reappointed.
The Nigerian representative of the Association of West African Students Union, AWASU, Comrade Sheriff Zadok was quoted as saying that along with other officials of NANS. They said the students were opposed to the appointment of Uzuakpunwa because of the likelihood of breakdown of law and order in the institution which has been denied by NANS Senate President Comrade Donald Onukaogu .
