NANS berates CUPP over tirade against Governor Abiodun

By Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun chapter, and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) have knocked the Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP) over what they described as “unwarranted attacks” on the state governor, Dapo Abiodun.

The two student bodies accused the group of acting out a script for the governor’s political adversaries, dubbing CUPP members as “a group of political jobbers who couldn’t contest and win councillorship positions in their various wards.”

CUPP had announced its intention to take legal action against Governor Abiodun over what it described as attempts to undermine the rights and welfare of civil servants in the state.

The body, led by Femi Soluade, had accused the governor of stripping civil servants of the rights to land and housing that were originally allocated to them during the Second Republic under Governor Olabisi Onabanjo.

However, addressing newsmen at a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the NANS Ogun JCC chairman, Gabriel Francis, expressed displeasure over the group’s action.

He said, “CUPP in Ogun in recent times has turned itself into a puppet being strung by a political ventriloquist, who pays them to do his own dirty job.

“To NANS Ogun and NAOSS, this is not only laughable but a low one from a group of charlatans.

“With these allegations highlighted by CUPP, it clearly shows that the body has lost direction and has become rudderless. Oftentimes, the state government has clarified its intention on the reinvention of the Government Residential Areas (GRAs) in the state, particularly the one at Ibara, which is the flagship.”

Francis stated that civil servants were adequately carried along by the state government when the idea of rebuilding the GRAs was conceived.

“In fact, extensive vacation notices were issued to the affected workers, while the then Head of Service held a series of meetings with workers to explain the rationale behind the government’s decision.

“No affected worker carried placards to protest the noble idea by the Governor Abiodun-led administration. Rather, the workers threw their weight behind the project, especially with the availability of low-cost houses constructed by the state government across the state,” he added.

He alleged that the group was perhaps hungry for patronage from the governor, hence the incessant attacks on him.

Meanwhile, Francis disclosed that the state under Governor Abiodun’s leadership has witnessed a tremendous turnaround, especially in education.

While reiterating students’ support for the Abiodun-led administration, he urged the governor not to lose grip on the steering wheel of progress and to continue on the steady path of socio-economic development in the state.