The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has waded into the ongoing controversy surrounding the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Committee on Life Skills and Critical Thinking, clarifying that the student constituency was fully consulted and represented during the committee’s constitution.

NANS also called on sister student bodies to refrain from jurisdictional overreach and stop issuing public statements without prior fact-finding.

The response follows a joint press statement by the National Association of University Students (NAUS), the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), and the National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), alleging that student representation was omitted from the newly inaugurated JAMB committee.

Rebutting the claims in an official press release issued on Sunday, NANS President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, described the allegations as unfounded and born out of a misunderstanding of operational boundaries among the student unions.

Akinteye emphasised that NANS remains the apex representative body and umbrella organisation for all Nigerian students both domestically and in the diaspora.

He noted that while specialized unions maintain autonomy within their respective sectors, matters of national policy affecting the entire student body fall strictly under the purview of NANS.

“All sister unions must come to terms with the fact that it is not within their purview to address issues that affect the general student populace,” Afeez stated. “The activities of NAUS are limited to university students, those of NAPS to polytechnic students, and NANCES to colleges of education. When it comes to policy formulations and activities that involve the general student body, NANS is the apex body responsible for such engagements.”

Setting the record straight on the committee’s inauguration, the NANS President confirmed that the examination body formally extended an invitation to his office.

He explained that due to official engagements, he delegated the NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Comr. Ernest Nkereuwem, to represent the organization and Nigerian students at the event.

Expression of regret was also tendered to the leadership of the board over the public outcry generated by the sister unions’ statements.

“On behalf of the leadership of NANS, I apologise to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, for any inconvenience the media outrage might have caused him. The student constituency was properly carried along, and we were fully involved and part of the process,” the statement added.

The student apex body enjoined sister unions to seek proper clarification and conduct thorough verification before issuing press releases on issues regarding national student welfare and policy engagements.

NANS reiterated its commitment to supporting initiatives and policy frameworks designed to advance the educational growth and overall welfare of Nigerian students. (Tribune)