Bauchi students, NANS disagree over Seyi Tinubu, Bala Mohammed’s son
Rauf Oyewole, Bauchi
The National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBASS) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have disagreed over the comment of Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, urging Seyi Tinubu not to empower Bauchi with plates of cooked rice.
Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed had earlier urged Seyi Tinubu to “Please, we, the youths of Bauchi, don’t need rice and food in nylon bags during Ramadan. Teach our youths how to fish, rather than feeding them for one day. They are not beggars.”
In a statement on Wednesday, NANS Senate President, Usman Nagwaza, rebuked Shamsudeen, suggesting that he should instead urge his father to create job opportunities, as Seyi Tinubu is a private citizen with no executive powers.
While addressing a press briefing on Thursday, NUBASS said that Shamsuddeen raised “valid and fundamental issue —governance should not be replaced by politically motivated handouts. Nigerian youth need sustainable solutions, not temporary distractions.”
According to NUBASS, “The real problem in Nigeria is not a lack of individual generosity but the failure of government structures to provide lasting solutions.
Handing out cooked food on the streets, as Seyi Tinubu did, is not an empowerment program—it is a temporary show that does nothing to change the economic reality of the people.
True philanthropy should aim to build capacity, provide long-term support, and uplift communities permanently.”
The students said that it is ridiculous for NANS to applaud a son of a sitting President for distributing cooked food to hungry citizens as though that is a meaningful contribution to youth empowerment. “What exactly does this achieve? It does not create jobs. It does not provide capital for businesses.
It does not give young people skills or opportunities.
“A country’s future cannot be built on one-time food distribution. The youth need sustainable empowerment through business capital, education, and long-term employment opportunities.”
