It also called for the immediate arrest of the gun-taunting security operatives that were behind the murder of the unspecified number of students.
The African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned the killing of students by security agents for protesting against increased school fees in Kaduna State.
It also called for the immediate arrest of the gun-taunting security operatives that were behind the murder of the unspecified number of students.
The party said this in its reaction to the murder of the students of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area, stressing that justice must prevail for the victims.
Scores of students that filed out, Monday, to protest the hike in their school fees were shot and others were arrested by the security agents.
A student of the school told SaharaReporters that, “We came out to protest over the increase of school fees when we met security operatives outside. They started shooting us, some of our colleagues are dead now.”
The AAC berated Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led government in Kaduna State, adding that it must stop its show of force against the residents of the state.
The party said this in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Femi Adeyeye, which was made available to SaharaReporters on Monday.
“It is another sad day for our supposed democracy as a student of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has just been reported killed by armed security agents who were dispersing peaceful protesters forcefully, today 28th June 2021.
“We condemn the use of brute force on protesters, call for the immediate arrest of the erring officers, and the total reversal of the hike in school fees that have made life unbearable for the students.
“The astronomical hike is not different from what is currently obtainable at the Kaduna State University (an increase from N27,000 to N100,000) where students and their parents have just been recently asked to sign off their rights to protest. This is nothing but barbaric.
“One death too many. And we at the AAC are forced to ask the El-Rufai and (President Muhammadu) Buhari governments if Nigerians are regarded as humans at all?
“From the rise in food prices, rent, transportation cost, electricity tariff, fuel price, VAT/arbitrary taxes to the unreasonable rise in school fees, the welfare of Nigerians which is supposed to be the primary objective of government has been abandoned. The standard of living has dramatically dropped.
“However, the things that have not suffered any downfall under this regime are the humongous salaries, allowances, and 'security votes' appropriated to government officials.
“To then add to this suffering is the murderous act of the regime towards a people protesting their suffering.
“We call on the Governor Nasir El-Rufai to halt all increments, anti-students’ and anti-workers’ policies. The Governor must also disembark on this journey of force and bring to justice the erring officers who killed the college student,” the statement read partly.
The statement entitled, ‘AAC Condemns the Violent Acts of the El-Rufai Regime as Security Forces Attack Students, Kill Peaceful Protester, Protesting Hike In School Fees,’ also urged the Nigerian students to unite against all forms of oppression.
“In the face of irrefutable evidence and facts, we maintain unapologetically that this regime has lost legitimacy and must be sent packing by the generality of our people.
“The African Action Congress, positioned as a vanguard of struggle, call on Nigerian students all over to organise themselves as a force of resistance against the numerous attacks on their rights to freely assemble, associate, express themselves and to be educated in environments that are safe and conducive for learning.
“Also, the need has risen now more than before, that students organise outside the wretched leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as it is presently constituted. Students’ freedom cannot be tied to the hustling aprons of hustlers,” AAC added.