NANS demands apology, calls on Gov Uzodimma to sack Commissioner for Transport

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has called for the sack of Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Chika Benson Abazu, over an alleged manipulative use of Police against students in Imo State.

NANS made the call through Comr. Okeke Kelvin, Zonal Public Relations Officer, NANS ZONE F, in a release he signed and made available to the media in Owerri on Monday.

According to the release, “the Imo State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Chika Abazu, led some team of Police men who obviously have nothing to do to effect the arrest of two NANS officers from the zone under baseless guise.

“It is clear that the Commissioner does not care if he spoilt the cordial relationship that has been existing between the Imo State Government and the students’ community. Of course, the Commissioner, in his ignorance, does not know what it takes to build a relationship of that nature.

“The arrest of Nigerian students without any reasonable course of action is least expected from man paid with the taxpayers’ money. It may interest Mr. Abazu to know that this organisation he is trying to ridicule and humiliate her officers was among the bodies that fought for the democracy he is enjoying today, let alone serving as Commissioner.

Chika Abazu

“Unfortunately, the Commissioner was not seen when the Governor had a pact with students to support him for the second term. When leadership of NANS travelled the length and bright of the state campaigning for his Excellency’s return, where was the Commissioner? Today, Mr. Chika Benson Abazu who is a product of benevolence nomination, is attacking those who secured his job”.

NANS added, “the truth is that, aside from the delinquency of Abazu as Commissioner for Transport, the students community is at peace with the government of most distinguished, Senator Hope Uzodimma who is our National Patron. Therefore, we call on the Governor to sack the non-performing Commissioner because he does not understand the agenda of the shared prosperity government”

Stressing that “we want to alude that why people of ideato rejected him from holding elective position, is because of his high-handedness and crude character, imagine detaining those who did nothing to him just for the fun of a sad man”, revealed that “we were told that all entreaties from leaders in the state fall on deaf ears”.

The PRO affirmed that “NANS and SUG students’ Intervention Transport Schemes can be found in all the states in the federation where tertiary institutions exist. Unless the said Commissioner did not pass through the four walls of higher institution in the country, that may explain his naive actions. The scheme is an initiative by the unions to select some buses that apply students’ routes and interconnect campuses, bringing students including other members of the academic community within and other the campus communities.

“By so doing, those selected are branded with inscription of the said institution or union. The benefits associated with it include, but are not limited to, shedding the branded buses from the activities of touts who regularly molest drivers on the road. The drivers, in turn, reduce the cost of fare for Nigerian students.

“He must have deceived the government with falsehoods against student leaders in the state. The students Transport Intervention Scheme in Imo State was once hijacked, ruined as a sole proprietorship business by one Chief Nneji Casmir Okoreafor from Ngor-Okpala local government area, who before now was an ally of Ben Abazu and immediately the rightful students leaders fought and removed him as the Chairman of Imo State stakeholders of NANS, which he has been impersonating, the Commissioner then resorted to war instead of synergy and collaboration for a peaceful state.

“Abazu must tell Imolites the business he had with the elements who have fought government and made derogatory remarks against Hope Uzodimma in several quarters because they feel not reappointed is a sin.

“He must provide Chief Casmir Nneji Okoreafor for public accounts of the scheme in his possession. Aligning with a character who uses his personal bank account to run an organization for years against the students leaders in the state is the height of it all.

“Therefore, the Governor must exercise leadership now to avoid allowing this incapacitated character to frustrate the efforts of his administration to a peaceful Imo”.