The Coalition of Northern Groups' Students Wing (CNG-SW) has promised to organise "the mother of all protests" that would result in school closures in response to several Nigerian colleges' increases in tuition costs.
This is in response to the group's plea to all northern stakeholders to speak out against and discourage the passage of the education loan bill due to the uncertainty surrounding the loan's sustainability and life duration.
The University of Maiduguri in the northeast, the Federal University Dutse in the northwest, and the Federal University Lafia in the north central are among those in this category, according to the Group.
Comrade Emuseh Gimba Bokunga, the group's national coordinator, spoke to the media on Monday in Abuja and claimed the increase by the universities came after the Federal Government approved a regime of severe economic policies that had created widespread suffering among Nigerians.
He said, “We also warn Vice Chancellors of Universities in the region to avoid the eventual Hazards and unforeseen circumstances by ensuring that no student drops out from Universities as a result of these increases.
“We appeal to the northern elite, especially the business community to please support public University education in their domains.
“Finally, we place the Federal Government on notice that if after this decent plea and persuasion, it fails to see reason, we shall take concrete actions which will not preclude mobilizing for massive and sustained regionwide protests.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we emphatically place on record that any such protests would be total, and shall involve the indefinite shutdown of all campuses, and occupation of major highways and state capitals across the North.
“We find it regrettable that as a result of these poorly designed policies, hunger is stalking millions of homes, inflation is making life difficult by the day, people are losing jobs, businesses are closing down infrastructure is decaying, young Nigerians are losing hope of being employed, hospitals are full of people who suffer various illnesses, and cannot afford the fees.”