The Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA) has elected a new president, Yunusa Yusuf Baduku, who has vowed to address the issue of insecurity in the state’s tertiary institutions.
Baduku, a student of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, emerged victorious in the presidential election held at the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, on Saturday night. He defeated Marwan Mohammed Iliya of the Kaduna State University and Hussein Abubakar Eya of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, who came second and third respectively.
The Election Committee Chairman, Habila Kutsa, announced that Baduku polled 78 votes out of the 146 accredited voters, while Iliya and Eya got 35 and 27 votes respectively. He declared Baduku as the winner and returned him elected.
In his acceptance speech, Baduku expressed his gratitude to the students for trusting him with the leadership of the association. He also lamented the spate of kidnappings and banditry that have plagued the campuses of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi; the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, and the Federal University of Lafia.
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He said: “The security challenges on our campuses are uncalled for. In recent times, we have been witnessing issues of kidnapping in our various campuses.
“As the newly elected president of NASSA, I will work closely with the students and security agencies to see how the issues of insecurity can be tackled in tertiary institutions across the state.
“I am assuring my fellow students that I will do everything within my powers to meet up with their expectations. So, I want to thank them for the confidence reposed in me to lead the association, and I promise not to disappoint them.”
He also commended the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, for his support to the students through bursary payments and scholarships. He appealed to him to intensify his efforts in collaborating with the security agencies to ensure the safety of the students and the state at large.
The convention was initially scheduled to take place at the state Ministry of Education, Lafia, but was moved to the polytechnic after security operatives allegedly barred the students from accessing the venue.