Arise News anchor and co-anchor of The Morning Show, Dr. Reuben Abati, has questioned the decision to involve members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the inspection of Federal Government road projects across the country.
Abati raised the issue on Thursday during Arise Television’s The Morning Show while reacting to a nationwide tour of federal road projects undertaken by a NANS delegation.
The students, led by NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye Afeez, visited several ongoing road projects, including sites in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and other parts of the North-West.
The exercise forms part of a wider Federal Roads Project Tour covering projects across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Following the visits, the students submitted a report to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, detailing their observations on the projects inspected.
NANS commended the quality and pace of work at some of the sites while also drawing attention to areas it believed required further intervention.
Among the concerns raised was the need for pedestrian bridges around tertiary institutions, particularly where major highways pass close to campuses or cross access routes used by students.
While receiving the report, Umahi said he was particularly impressed that the students had independently sought permission to visit project sites in different parts of the country.
The Minister said the Ministry of Works offered to support the delegation with logistics, but the students declined the assistance because they wanted to independently visit the sites and reach their own conclusions.
Reacting to the development, Abati questioned why a students’ association was taking responsibility for inspecting government infrastructure and submitting reports to the minister instead of concentrating on academic activities.
He said, “Minister Umahi was talking to a group of students, NANS. They went on an inspection of Federal Government road projects in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, all the way to Sokoto State and the whole of the North-West.
“And they brought a report to the Minister of Works that this is what we have observed. Please, how is it that Nigerian students are now the ones going about inspecting road projects?
“These are students, NANS is an association of students. Why are these students not focusing on their studies? Why are they becoming politicians, going about inspecting projects and giving reports to the minister?
“When I was a student, we were very serious people, you have to stay on campus, you have to attend classes, but now students are inspecting road projects and I find that very curious.”