Remove Shekarau Over Misconduct and Impersonation NANS Tells Jonathan

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared total war against the minister of education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately sack the minister over what it alleged as his dishonourable actions.

The body made the demand yesterday during a press conference through its president, Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu and vowed that “From Thursday, December 4, 2014, NANS will occupy the Ministry of Education until Dr Ibrahim Shekarau is removed.”

According to the association, “The leadership of NANS rejects Shekarau as the minister of education. We cannot work with a minister who sponsors impersonation of one of our key officers and who has shown open unwarranted hostility towards the legitimate leadership of NANS. We therefore call on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack him immediately.”

The student body which promised to tackle the minister “ferociously and squarely in order to preserve the dignity of the association” alleged that the minister gave certain amount of money to one aspirant, Comrade Ali Wali, who is from his home state, Kano and said “by this action, the minister who should be a father to call took sides.”

When LEADERSHIP contacted the minister’s aide, Sule Ya’u Sule for reactions concerning the allegations, he said “the allegations are false as we do not even know anything about it. Infact, the NANS election was conducted even before the tenure of the minister. Some people are only been used to disrupt the existing peace and should be ignored.”

Shehu further claimed that the association was not bothered with the ministers partisan politics and also claimed to reach the minister but all to no avail, alleged that the huge sum was squandered by the ministers’ candidate who later withdrew from the race but yet was backed by the minister to declare himself as the secretary general and “continues to encourage impersonation in NANS.”

He stated that despite efforts made by convention chairman who conducted the elections and the senior special assistant to the president on youth and student affairs, Comrades Igwe Ude-Umanta and Jude Imagwe respectively, the minister “has also further in expression of his anger and hostility towards the genuine leadership of NANS shut his door against an organisation that he is expected to supervise.”