The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has issued an internal directive cautioning its executive members, directors, committee heads and appointed officers against releasing unauthorised public statements or press releases using the association’s name without proper clearance.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Coordinator of NANS Southwest (Zone D), Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, popularly known as Billioncodes.
According to the statement, NANS Southwest operates as a collective institution, and no individual officer, regardless of portfolio, is permitted to unilaterally present personal views as the official stance of the zonal body.
Comrade Adeyemo emphasised that while executive members and officers are encouraged to remain proactive in addressing issues affecting Nigerian students, all public interventions must strictly follow established internal protocols. This requirement applies particularly to sensitive matters involving government bodies, tertiary institution managements, security agencies, public ultimatums, protests or mass actions capable of committing the entire zone to a specific course of action.
The zonal coordinator warned that unauthorised communications risk creating unnecessary institutional conflicts, misrepresenting the collective interests of students in the region and undermining the organisation’s credibility.
“Henceforth, any statement intended to carry the name, authority or official position of NANS Southwest Zone D must receive appropriate clearance from the Office of the Coordinator or be issued pursuant to a collective decision of the zonal leadership,” he stated.
The leadership clarified that directors and designated officers may still issue operational updates relating strictly to their assigned portfolios, provided such messages are not presented as the overarching stance of the entire zone without an explicit mandate.
Reassuring members that the order was not meant to stifle initiative, Comrade Adeyemo stressed that the policy was essential to maintaining organisational discipline, ensuring accurate representation and protecting the broader interests of students across the Southwest.
“This directive is necessary to ensure discipline, proper coordination, collective responsibility and accurate representation of the interests of students across the Southwest,” the statement concluded, urging all officers to ensure strict compliance going forward.