Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has urged the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone D, to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The governor gave the charge during the inauguration of the new executives of the student body held at the Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa.
In a statement signed by the Coordinator of NANS Zone D, Josiah Adeyemo, a copy of which was obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, Adeleke, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Abiodun Ojo, urged the student leaders to see themselves as leaders in their present positions rather than wait for future opportunities to lead.
Adeleke also called for the inclusion of females in the student leadership structure, stressing the importance of gender balance in governance within NANS.
He warned the newly inaugurated executives against compromising their future for financial inducements, urging them to remain focused and align with initiatives that would add value and engender personal and professional growth.
“Let me reaffirm the state government’s support for NANS. Our administration is student-friendly and I want to urge the newly inaugurated executives to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“You are the leaders of today, and the journey starts now. Do not compromise your future for financial inducements. Remain focused and engage in activities that will be beneficial to the nation,” Adeleke told the students.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Osun State College of Health Technology, Mr Abayomi Adegoke, implored the student leaders to rise to the responsibilities of their offices without excuses.
Adegoke stated that they must not remain silent or directionless, emphasising that student unionism serves as a training ground for future national leaders.
He called on heads of tertiary institutions, particularly in the South-West region, to allow student unionism to thrive, noting that it is essential for grooming credible leadership for the country.
He also urged the student leadership to shift from confrontational approaches to constructive engagement with government, advocating dialogue driven by facts and solutions.
In his remarks, the NANS Zone D Coordinator, Adeyemo, promised improved welfare for students in the zone while calling for maximum cooperation.
NGGOSSIPS Online reports that the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, Prof. Taiwo Olaiya, was recently bestowed with the honour of patron of the National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone.
The student body conferred the honour on Olaiya at an event held on the campus of the polytechnic in Ede and attended by leaders of the association from the six South-West states.
The event heralded the pre-convention of the association held on the campus of the polytechnic.
The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Sani Man Yahaya, was also honoured by the association for accepting the plea to pardon students expelled for their roles in a violent protest that erupted on the campus in May 2024, during which buildings and some cars were damaged.
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