By Yekeen Nurudeen

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has said that it has discovered multi-million naira assets of some Vice Chancellors of Nigerian universities allegedly acquired with public funds.

The students’ umbrella body also said the assets include thoseacquired through proxies, family members and siblings.

A statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi said the discoveries were made after the association mobilised its state chapters across the country following its determination  to align with anti-graft agencies in the fight against official corruption in the country, especially in the nation’s higher institutions.

This is coming 24 hours after the Federal Government promised to protect the identities of whistle blower as well as reward them.

Obasi had at a press briefing on January 22, 2017 expressed the resolve ofthe association to take advantage of the whistle-blowing window provided by the Federal Government to join in the fight against corruption.

The students’ union leader who did not mention any particular universityVice Chancellor expressed confidence that the anti-corruption agencies would on proper handling, net billions of naira in assets and proxy investments.

“It is baffling that administrators of higher institutions of learning should descend so low in primitive acquisition and unbridled corruption.

“By the time these leads are successfully pursued and suspects prosecuted, Nigerians must have gotton a clue as to why the appointment of heads of tertiary institutions has become a do-or-die affair, entailing bribery, intimidation and other desperate approaches,” he said.

For the efforts, Obasi alleged that he and his colleagues involved have been receiving death threats noting that the association has lodged reports at the appropriate quarters.

“On a crucial note, we must not fail to inform Nigerians that our modest efforts did not come easy. Our field operatives and colleagues, especially the NANS President and his executive have come under constant threats and assassination attempts.

“We will not back down or back out until our academic institutions become the Ivory Towers they are meant to be.

“While we have lodged necessary reports with the appropriate quarters, we wish to assure the corrupt elements threatening us that we shall not abandon our chosen course to expose their corrupt tendencies and evil machinations against the future of Nigerian youths.

“We are putting final touches to our grand plan to mobilize millions of Nigerian students in a march against corruption in tertiary institutions, during which we hope to demand from President Muhammadu Buhari, the Field marshal of the anti-corruption armada; the removal of identified corrupt vice chancellors and administrators,” he revealed.