The students association further stated that “We also call for the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor to head the institution as required by the law of the land.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Federal Ministry of Education two weeks ultimatum to implement in full, including the fiscal status upgrade of the Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo State.
In a statement by its National Vice President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, NANS said that if after two weeks the Federal Ministry of Education failed to implement the 2023 budget of the university and announce a substantive Vice Chancellor, it would relocate its national secretariat to the Ministry.
Afeez stated that Nigerian students appreciated Abiola Makinde who sponsored the bill to upgrade the status of the institution from college of education to a university and followed it through until President Muhammadu Buhari assented to it in December 2021.
Meanwhile, Afeez noted that as at the time the bill was signed into law, the 2022 budget had been passed, therefore, the full enactment of the law of the status upgrade of the institution from a college of education to a university could be effected on its 2022 budget.
“However, to our total surprise, it was discovered that the Federal Ministry of Education prepared a college's budget in the 2023 budget instead of a university's budget for the institution.
“During our consultations, we were made aware of the efforts and strong will of a certain Director at the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with some mischievous persons and unions in stampeding the process of upgrading the institution status to a university as required by the law.
“The presentation of a college's budget instead of a university's budget in next year's budget is hereby rejected totally by all the Nigerian students and the national body of NANS gives the Federal Ministry of Education an ultimatum of two (2) weeks to kickstart in full capacity the implementation of the upgrade of the institution to a befitting university status,” Afeez said.
The students association further stated that “We also call for the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor to head the institution as required by the law of the land.
“If our demands aren't met within two (2) weeks as stipulated, the national body would immediately relocate the entire secretariat of the NANS National to the Federal Ministry of Education to demand our right as it's signed in the laws of the land.”
Meanwhile, Afeez called on the Nigerian students, especially students of Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo, to calm down as NANS was working round the clock to bring to reality the implementation of the law regarding the status upgrade of the university.