South-west Students Declare Support for Obanikoro
Dissociate selves from purported NANS rally
OlakiitanVictor South-west students, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have declared their supports for the ministerial nomination of the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
The NANS urged members of the Senate not to break the longstanding tradition where former senators take bows during screening on the floor, just because some were bent on stalling Obanikoro’s reappointment by President Goodluck Jonathan.
In an address delivered by NANS Coordinator, Zone D, Sunday Asefon during a proObanikoro rally in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the placard-carrying students urged the Senate to shun politics of bitterness for the nation to move forward.
Some of the placards read: ‘Don’t break the norm, let koro takes his bow’, ‘zone d students supports Obanikoro’s ministerial appointment’, ‘why the question, only a bow is okay for a former senator’, among others.
NANS described Obanikoro as a good representative of the good people of the South, urging Senate to give him expeditious passage.
Obanikoro’s screening had been stalled twice at the Senate on account of strong opposition by senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to his re-nomination for ministerial appointment.
Asefon dissociated the body from anti-Obanikoro rally held by a purported members of NANS in the zone, led by one Tosin Ogunkade, where they were quoted to have urged the Senate to discountenance Obanikoro’s reappointment on the basis of his alleged involvement in rigging during the June 21 governorship poll in Ekiti State.
The students’ leader appealed to the senators on the platform of the APC, particularly those from the South-west to reconsider their action, saying the present game is a replica of how Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola lost the speakership of the Houseof Representatives to Hon. Aminu Tambuwal on the altar of highwired politics.
The NANS leader said: “We call without hesitation on the leadership of the Senate to shun politics of bitterness and hypocrisy by allowing Obanikoro take his bows before the distinguished senators in accordance with the age long tradition.
“Any attempt to subject him to questioning , we believe, will diminish the senate track records of fairness, equity and justice. The norm of the senate is older than the current parliament and should not be sacrificed on the altar of vested interest and political chess game.”