Two student unions have commended Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun for providing palliatives to stranded students of tertiary institutions in the state.
The unions are the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS).
The two unions on Friday in Abeokuta issued a joint statement signed by NANS Deputy Coordinator, Southwest Zone, Akeem Akinwunmi and NAOSS National President, Gbemileke Ogunrombi.
The statement said that the gesture by the governor deserved to be appreciated.
It said that the distribution of palliatives such as rice, beans and noodles among others to stranded students across campuses in the state was worthy of emulation.
According to the statement, the items facilitated by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Students Matters, Azeez Adeyemi , were distributed to stranded students in no fewer than seven tertiary institutions.
“The institutions include Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY), Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Tai Solarin College of Education, (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu and Ogun State College of Health Technology (OSCOHTECH), Ilese-Ijebu.
” Others are Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, DS Adegbenro Polythecnic, Itori and Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB),” the statement said.
It, however, appealed to the governor to urgently pay bursary allowance to indigenes of the state to augment the palliatives being distributed.
“We want to commend our amiable governor for remembering the students even in this difficult time. We commend him for extending the COVID-19 palliatives to the student community.
“Abiodun is a loving, caring and wonderful father who is so passionate about issues that concern students in the state.
” We pray that the Almighty God will continue to bless him and his family.
“We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the governor to urgently pay the bursary allowance of students who are indigenes of the state.
“We want the governor to break the chain of non-payment of bursary to students, ” the statement said.
The statement added that no student was paid bursary in the state for six consecutive years under the previous administration.
