NANS Backs Atiba University Law Students, Demands Resolution Of Law School Crisis

By Adewale Amoo

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the apex student leadership body in Nigeria, has expressed solidarity with protesting law students and graduates of Atiba University, Oyo, Oyo State, over the unresolved crisis surrounding the institution’s law programme.

The association said the crisis had left affected students and graduates unable to proceed to the Nigerian Law School despite completing their academic requirements and making significant financial investments in their education.

In a statement made available to journalists through its official Facebook page and signed by the NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the association said it was concerned about the inability of the university management to resolve the matter despite repeated appeals and interventions.

“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) expresses its strong solidarity with the law students of Atiba University, Oyo State, who, after exhausting all forms of consultation and dialogue, have finally come out to protest over the unresolved crisis surrounding the university’s law programme and their inability to proceed to the Nigerian Law School,” the statement said.

NANS said it was “appalling” that the grievances of the affected students had remained unresolved despite their continued agitation and intervention by the apex student body.

“It is rather appalling that despite the affected students’ continuous agitation and the intervention of the apex student representative body, NANS, the management of Atiba University, Oyo State, has paid no heed to these genuine grievances,” it stated.

The association also questioned the continued admission of students into the law programme despite what it described as the university’s inability to secure recognition and approval for the programme from the Council of Legal Education (CLE).

“Every sane individual must begin to question the integrity, efficiency, and competence of the management of Atiba University, Oyo State,” NANS said, alleging that the institution continued to admit students into the programme despite the regulatory concerns.

According to the association, students who were duly admitted, completed their academic requirements and passed the requisite examinations should not be made to suffer the consequences of regulatory issues beyond their control.

“It is unacceptable that innocent students who were duly admitted, who have completed their academic requirements and passed the requisite examinations, are left to bear the consequences of regulatory issues for which they are in no way responsible,” the statement added.

NANS commended the affected students for taking a bold step to demand their rights after efforts at dialogue allegedly failed. It also called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to take immediate action over the situation, including considering the withdrawal of the university’s licence.

“The school cannot continue admitting students into a programme that is not duly accredited, particularly where students are ultimately left stranded after investing years of their lives and financial resources,” NANS stated.

The student body further demanded that Atiba University immediately resolve all outstanding issues surrounding the law programme and provide a clear and credible pathway for affected students and graduates to proceed to the Nigerian Law School, subject to meeting the requisite requirements.

NANS warned that failure by the university management to resolve the matter within the stipulated period would force the association to escalate the issue, adding that it would continue to stand with the affected students.

The development followed a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued by NANS to the management of Atiba University to resolve the crisis linked to the Council of Legal Education’s moratorium affecting students and graduates of the university’s law programme.

According to the NANS statement, the Council of Legal Education had raised concerns over the adequacy and suitability of facilities at the institution for the establishment and operation of a Faculty of Law.

The association further alleged that the university violated its admission policy by admitting and graduating students without obtaining the requisite approval, a situation it said had contributed to the current predicament facing the affected law students and graduates.