National Union of Rivers State Students Write an Open Letter to Wike, Demand for Better Students Welfare

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The National Union of Rivers State Student (NURSS), has written an open letter to the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Ezewon Nyesom Wike, demanding for a better students welfare from the Governor. The letter was made available to profjaysblog by the Secretary General of the Union, Comrade Chinondu Wokocha.

Read the open letter below;

AN OPEN LETTER TO:

HIS EXECELLENCY,
CHIEF HON BARR. E.N. WIKE CON
The Executive Governor
Rivers State

Your Excellency,

RIVERS STATE STUDENTS DEMAND FOR THEIR RIGHTS AS REGARDS THEIR WELFARE

The National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), is the umbrella body of all Rivers State students at home and Diaspora, and the apex students’ body in Rivers State. In addition to its fundamental responsibilities of promoting the welfare of Rivers State students, it also focuses on national issues bordering on peaceful co-existence, good governance, human development, poverty eradication, sustainable development and academic excellence.

The union is geared towards producing better and resourceful leaders who will have the development and growth of Rivers State at heart, Leaders who will invest into human and capacity development to ensure a better society.

Rivers State students cease this medium to appreciate you for the Construction of a befitting secretariat, which has no doubt given the union a face lift, and would enhance proper administration and governance.
We further wish to appreciate your efforts in securing the lives and property of the people of Rivers State, particularly in this trying time of COVID-19 Pandemic.

However, we wish to bring to your notice that we Rivers State Students are not pleased with your administration, because our welfare as students have been neglected in divers ways by your administration, which I wish to state as follow:

1..Payment of Tuition fee for all Rivers students:
Sequel to the outbreak of the deadly covid-19 pandemic, which resulted to the shutdown of different sectors and occasioned hardship on the people, it has been really challenging to families to fend for themselves, considering the hype in price of most commodities. We appealed for the payment of the Tuition fee of all Rivers State students, which we suggested to be paid directly to the students portal, to ensure transparency, accountability and effectiveness.

2..Payment of Rivers State Students Bursary:
The need for payment of student bursary is one that cannot be over emphasized, it is pitiful to know that the last bursary received by Rivers State students was paid by the previous administration, meaning we have not been paid our bursary since your administration came into office as the Executive governor of Rivers State.

3..Appointment of Special Assistant on Students Affairs (SA)
It is pertinent Your Excellency for you to appoints a Special Assistant on students Affairs, who will act as a liaison officer between the Governor and the Students. This has been one of our requests as Rivers state students, but unfortunately your Excellency, this request has not been granted as there is no Special Assistant on students Affairs, who would communicate the need and welfare of Rivers state students.

4..Revamping of the Rivers state substantible development agency (RSSDA)
RSSDA was an avenue through which Rivers State Students were trained via international standard. This platform helped in producing more professionals who would match any international requirement. Considering the nitty-gritty of RSSDA to Rivers State Students, we also demand for a renewal of RSSDA, to enable Rivers state students benefit more academically.

5.. Employment for Rivers state Students upon graduation.
Usually, upon graduation, Rivers state students were sure of getting a job to enable them fend for themselves and plan for their future. It is unfortunate that things aren’t as they use to be, today graduates are seen roaming the streets, due to lack of jobs. It is on this premise that we make a demand for the creation of job for Rivers State Students upon graduation.

6..First class graduates shoud be honoured and encouraged by the Rivers State Government
We also demand for encouragement and honour to Rivers state students who graduates with a first class, this because considering the rigorous and difficult process of going through the high institution, it is necessary that such persons who graduate with exception, should be appreciated and honoured, in order to encourage other Rivers state students too.

7..Look into the unhealthy increament of tuition fee
In recent times, increment of school fees have been the order of the day, which has not been going well with Rivers State students, considering the state of the Nation’s economy, Your Excellency Sir, we demand you should use your good office to check these unlawful increment. It has been observed that you are usually not aware of these unjust increment, as such, we request that you look into this unfair act of our state institutions.

8..Welfare of Rivers state students who were abroad
Furthermore, there are Rivers state students who were schooling abroad, under the sponsorship of Rivers State Government, unfortunately, these persons were sent back home due to the inability of the Government to foot their academic bills. Since they returned, we noticed that these persons have been idle and have not been considered by the government. We further demand that the welfare of these persons be looked into, and necessary modalities be put in place to enable them find their fees again in the State and Country at large.

9: Upgrade and construction of More infrastructures in our higher institutions and secondary Schools in rural area.
The present infrastructures in our tertairy and secondary institutions such as classrooms and hostels, are no longer matching with the number of students admitted therein on yearly basis and the unhealthy state of tertiary institutions and secondary School in rural areas.

A Clarion look at Ignatius Ajuru university of education and Rivers State college of health science and technology will obviously justify my humble assertion,as the unhealthy state of those institutions and even secondary Schools in our rural areas, are unacceptable.
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These are the demand of Rivers state students, we urge you, your Excellency to extend your kind gesture to the sudents community, cause Rivers State Students are really suffering, and that shouldn’t be, particularly under your administration as the governor of rivers state.

We will be very glad and grateful if our demands are given a favourable response.
Thank you in anticipation

Signed:
Comr. Chinondu Wokocha
Secretary General
National Union of Rivers State Students
(NURSS) National Secretariate