Pat Stevens/
Human rights lawyer and former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Abdul Mahmud, has berated the leadership of the group over it’s publicised visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
Mahmud, who was NANS president from 1990 to 1992, described the visit as “ill-advised” particularly “at a time students reel under the pain of strikes”.
Representatives of NANS had visited Buhari at the Aso Villa ostensibly to present him a birthday card and express solidarity with his government.
Mahmud in a series of tweets on the handle, @AbdulMahmud01, also condemned “the reckless threat issued to ASUU to forcefully eject its members from their homes”.
He consequently demanded that his name be erased from all “records and archives of the association”.
His tweets read: “As the 8th President of NANS (1990-1992), I ask that my name be removed from all records and archives of the association. I shall issue a formal statement to this effect @NANSNIG.
“Recall that following the election of Bamidele Akpan President NANS a few months ago, NANS got in touch with me to seek support for his leadership and request for a visit to my office.
“You subsequently sent me an invitation to your “Save Education Rally” pursuant to the Academic Reform (ACAREF) Programme I launched in March 1991.
“I declined your requests because I was abroad and still abroad. I promised the association and leadership audience on my return to the country.
“That promise has now been nullified by the following:
1) the reckless threat issued to ASUU to forcefully eject its members from their homes
2) the ill-advised visit to Aso Rock, at a time students reel under the pain of strikes.
“It is your choice to decide your programmes of action, but the choice does not include threatening ASUU, the historical ally of NANS- alliance that dates back to 1982 nor does it include the visit to @mbuhari, the then dictator who gave Nigerian students bullets when they asked for bread in 1984mentions
“Recall that in 1984 when @MBuhari attempted to hike tuition fees and hostel fees, withdraw feeding & ban students unionism in higher institutions, NANS resisted him.
“That year- 1984- NANS, which was 4 years old at the time was banned by @MBuhari and its President, Lanre Arogundade, arrested and locked up in Ife Prison till he was overthrown by IBB in 1985.
“Only a generation without a sense of history will continue to walk the shamed path you have walked since 1999.
“You all have the choice to either discover, fulfill, or betray your mission.
Thanks @NANSNIG.”