Forceful covenant and oath in Unijos...

I wanted to write this article way back during my undergraduate days but I couldn't because I lacked the proper channel to tell the world how I feel about the present state of Student Unionism in Nigerian universities especially my dear Unijos. I guess another thing that deterred me from writing long ago was the fear of being expelled from the University. Now I guess it is time for me to say something about unionism in Unijos and how the former VC Hayward Babale Mafuyai and his cohorts killed student uninionism in Unijos. I promise not to make this lengthy.

I must commend the leadership of the past SUG President of Unijos Mr Abel (AKA Abel is able) for reviving the Spirit of Aluta in Unijos which was in the state of comatose before he assumed office in the 2013/2014 academic session. The newly elected SUG president met a dead student union body but worked very hard to revive student unionism in Unijos. In November of 2014, the SUG President called for a meeting of faculty and departmental Presidents in Unijos. This meeting was meant for student representative to point out areas that the School authority needs to look into for better welfare of the students. Top on the list was the reduction of tuition fee. Students were made to pay developmental levy of ten thousand naira (10,000). The problem then was not in paying the developmental levy but in the fact that the University was still in its state of of Infrastructural decay even after students have being paying developmental levy for the past 5 years. With this and other issues in mind, the SUG decided to table in their request which represented what they students want. The VCs as usual refuse to meet with the student body; not only did he refuse to meet with the student body he also called the student body "rascals".
After this unfortunate and senseless comment by the Vc, the student body was left with no other option but to stage a peaceful protest. Before I forget to mention that I was in my final year then and I know what it entails if the University should be shutdown due to the protest. At that time, I wasn't thinking of myself but my family and friends that will be coming into Unijos in years to come. All I wanted at that time was for them to meet a better Unijos.
The protest which was suppose to be a one day thing got to reach the next day due to the insensitivity ego of the VC to come and the address the students who came out en mass to fight for better welfare of students. On the second day, students came out en mass for another round of protest. Mind you the second day of the protest was peaceful not until some cowards dressed in military uniforms shot some students at the gate of Naraguta hostel. With this development, students started breaking windows in the school premises.
On the second day of the protest, the school was shutdown and students were forced out of their hostels and the military took over the school premises. Unijos was shutdown for about 3 months. During that period, a disciplinary pannel was set up to look for scapegoats to punish.
When academic activities finally resumed, students were told to pay twelve thousand for damages incurred during the protest. Mind you the SUG excos have been suspended/dissolved and nobody will stand in for they students.
Now these sets of political and academic thugs dressed in the regalia of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) led by its President and Senate President who happens to be a student of Unijos in the Person of  Mr Royce Ochai. Permit me for not including the accolade "comrade" to his name because at that time he was not a friend to Unijos students. This thugs were suppose to fight for Unijos students but rather they went to dialogue with the school administration with the sole aim of gaining from this unfair situation Unijos students found themselves. After the said "dialogue" NANS agreed students should pay the sum of six thousand naira and to take forceful covenant of good conduct. It was rumoured that NANS executive went home with good packages.
Not only were students forced to pay surcharges of #6,000 which I considered as uncalled-for, we were also forced to take oath of good conduct. This act alone has forever chained Student Unionism in Unijos. With this oath, nobody dares to protest any eventual increment of tuition fee by the school authority . I am not wrong to say that STUDENT UNIONISM IS DEAD IN UNIJOS.
Finally, Student Unionism in Nigeria has fallen from its pinnacle of intellectual doggedness and lost it activist steam and therefore has become a mere appendage of ruling political parties and a tool in the hands of corrupt politicians and VCs of Nigerian Universities.
THERE IS NOTHING GREAT ABOUT NIGERIAN STUDENTS

NEXT ARTICLE: HOW PROFESSOR GOFWEN KILLED SOCIAL LIFE IN UNIJOS( FORMER DEAN STUDENT'S AFFAIRS)
 
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