Opposition mounts against anti-students’ union bill – The Guardian
November 18, 2009 by Bunmi Awolusi
Protests yesterday trailed a bill designed to regulate the activities of students’ unions in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The bill is undergoing public hearing in the House of Representatives.
When passed into law, the bill, jointly sponsored by 27 lawmakers, will empower Governing Councils to regulate the activities of students’ unions in their schools.
When the public hearing on the bill and six others initiated by the Education Committee of the Lower House started yesterday in Abuja, students and academic personnel kicked against the proposed law. They described it as antithetical to the democratic ethos.
At the forefront of the protest against the law are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and former students’ union leaders.
The House of Representatives has in the last few days also been considering another bill to muscle the Press.
