The newly elected Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Oyo axis, Comrade Asubiojo Olujuwon has called on the authorities of University of Ibadan, the Polytechnic Ibadan and other institutions to reinstate Students’ Union government in the institutions.
In a copy of his inaugural address made available to Insideoyo.com on Thursday, Comrade Asubiojo said the school management should act as matter urgency by reinstating students’ union leaders including Ojo Aderemi, the recently suspended Students’ union President of the University of Ibadan.
The NANS leaders also cautioned the police authorities over victimization of students in some specific areas in Ibadan, Ogbomoso.
His address below:
BEING THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF COMRADE ASUBIOJO OLUJUWON(MARSHAL), THE CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS / JOINT CAMPUS COMMITTEE, OYO STATE, NIGERIA, ON THIS DAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
Greatest Nigerian Students!!!
Comrades from all cadres of the Nigerian Academic
It is with deep feeling of belief and intense enthusiasm that I stand before you all on this great occasion, one that marks the beginning of a new era in the leadership of our great union.
Today, no doubt opens a new chapter in the historical records of students’ unionism in Oyo state, and creates an opportunity for us to make the changes we so desire. I am immensely grateful and forever indebted to all those who made this happen, and to all Senators and members of NANS/JCC Oyo state for the confidence they have put in me. I promise you that this administration will continue to make you proud even for years to come. I declare that I shall, to the best of my ability uphold the core values and profound principles that serve as the foundation of our great association and the invaluable bedrock of unionism in Nigeria. Trust Me when I say this fellow Comrades-We can, and will restore NANS to the great heights it once was!
Ladies and gentlemen, as much as I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity, I cannot overlook and I am completely mindful of the overwhelmingly enormous task ahead of us, and the huge responsibility that is being placed upon me today. However, I am not shaken one bit by the challenge as I know that I can always knock on your doors for support and take it to bank anytime of the day. I am equally rest assured that the great students in Oyo state and in Nigeria at large will always respond to support and show solidarity forever with what remains the last defender of injustice for Nigerian students anywhere, the mother body of all Nigerian students in the nation.
Fellow Comrades, members of the Press, I can boast all day about the might of the National Association of Nigerian Students, and what our antecedents are, but while our history is necessary to guide us, I am a man who always asks – what does the future hold? What does the future hold for unionism in Oyo state? What does the future hold for students’ leadership in Oyo state? What does the future hold for education in Oyo state and Nigeria at large? It is my hope that our administration will answer these questions to the satisfaction of everyone seated here.
Foremost on my mind is the continuous clamp own of students unions and activism in our institutions. As I speak now, several institutions in this state do not have a student’s union, and many of those that do cannot boast of an independent union. This situation is largely due to the unwillingness of the management of tertiary institutions to recognize the indispensable role of students in the development and progress of such institutions. Students are partners in progress, and a university or college administrator who fails to understand this is definitely unfit to lead such institutions. We frown at the continuous suspension of all students ’ unions in Oyo state, and call on the respective institution to ensure the reinstatement of an independent union, otherwise, they will have my administration to contend with. We will also work towards developing a legal framework that will prevent managements of tertiary institutions from unilaterally suspending or dissolving any union.
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN:
Specifically, I use this opportunity to call on the management of University of Ibadan, our nation’s premier university and pride of Oyo state to immediately reinstate the suspended union and all rusticated union leaders. We have carefully followed the order of events in the University and consulted with relevant stakeholders, and hold no doubt that the University authorities have overstepped and contravened the principles of freedom, equity and justice.
Injustice is evident in the continuous suspension of the union, and in the recent rustication of Ojo Aderemi – the erstwhile union president, Asiwaju Ibrahim, the erstwhile SRC Speaker, and three other union leaders in the university, all for daring to employ the weapon of a peaceful protest to demand for the release of validly paid I.D Cards which the administration collected for two academic sessions.
We consider this as an act of injustice to all Nigerian students, and we will employ all legal machineries, use all valid means and expend all available resources of the National Association of Nigerian Students to ensure our demands are met as regards to the University of Ibadan. We are particularly appalled by the consistency in student victimization and blatant oppression that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka has displayed to the entire students’ body of the university, through arbitrary intimidation and undue regular rustication of Student Activists and the absurd lack of accountability that has been shown in the management’s actions. We are hereby demand for the unconditional redress and reversal of the students disciplinary committees’ decision to rusticate Ojo Aderemi and four others, the immediate reinstatement of an independent students’ union, a public account for the over #60million naira collected for the production of ID cards, and an institutional reform to put an end to all forms oppression and clamp down on students’ rights in the University. If these demands are not speedily met, Professor Olayinka should be prepared to face the legal wrath of the greatest Nigerian students.
EDUCATION IN OYO STATE:– We wish to congratulate the Governor-Elect of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde for his unprecedented victory at the State polls. We are encouraged by the zeal, commitment and passion he has shown even before receiving the mandate of the people of Oyo State to address the fundamental problems of education the Pace Setter state has been facing. We hereby wish to use this medium to make it known to all and sundry that NANS JCC Oyo is neither political nor partisan and will not reduce itself to the level of political puppetry or partisan activism at any time. We are aware of all the lovely promises the Governor-Elect has made towards the improvement of education in the state and will ensure that we hold him accountable to such promises so we can together take Oyo State to its rightful seat at the top rung of education in Nigeria.
CONTINOUS HIKE IN FEES OF INSTITUTIONS:
This administration also condemns and will zealously fight against the illegal, callous and unpatriotic act of always looking to hike students’ fee as a revenue model for our public institutions. We make bold to state that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes quality and free education at all levels and in all public institutions, and until the Federal Government of Nigeria publicly declares that they are unable to carry on with this (in which case they would have us to contend with), no university, polytechnic or college administrator anywhere in the State whether in the rural or urban centres has the right to increase the fees or introduce any unaffordable levy to the fee schedule of students. We will continue to put pressure on the government to ensure adequate funding to our institutions, and at the same time positively engage the management of our tertiary institutions to develop innovative and creative ideas for revenue generation without hurting the already impoverished students who cannot afford these exorbitant fees. We call on all academic and non-academic staff unions to unleash their comradeship apparatus and join us in achieving this lofty goal. Education is the right of all and must be free for all!!!
POLICE BRUTALITY AND HARASSMENT:
NANS JCC Oyo State vehemently condemns the unchecked instances of Police brutality, pointless extortion, perpetual intimidation and undue harassment of students and other members of the public by suspected SARS Operatives and Security Operatives in the State especially around Iwo Road, Dugbe, Mokola in Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Oja-Oba in Oyo, Saki, and other areas of the state. We are not against due process of law or valid police investigation, but the cases of routine arbitrary arrests, public harassment and extortion under the baseless pretexts of apprehending suspected Internet Fraudsters must stop henceforth.
We call on the Commissioner of Police for Oyo State to intervene and call these unruly miscreants to order. This administration is committed to the eradication of this heinous act and will not hesitate to equally expose and report all erring officers to the appropriate authorities and bring them to the book for their unjustifiable action. Let that be publicized.
SITUATION IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN OYO STATE:
While we commend the rapid reinstatement of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic’s students’ union barely 48 hours after its suspension and urge all other institution to take a cue from them, we must warn against any plan to introduce anti-student policies including fee hikes and suppression of students’ rights.
We also condemn the current situation in The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where the Students’ Union was suspended due to security challenges on campus. The role of the students’ union in ensuring peace and security on campus cannot be over-stated, and while we appreciate the management of that institution for attempting to ensure peace and security, we affirm that suspending the union is the worst way to achieve that. We call for an immediate reinstatement of the union, as they work hand in hand with the school management to ensure sustainable peace and security on campus.
We have also been made aware of the situation in the School of Nursing, where students are made to pay high school fees; incommensurate to the kind of services they are offered. We call for an acceleration of the effort to make the institution a degree awarding one, as is well deserved by the students and staff of the school.
CONCLUSION:
The National Association of Nigerian Students remains the face of students’ unionism in Nigeria.
We are at a critical stage where we need to reposition our association to the great heights it once was. The priority of my administration will be to ensure that the image of NANS and unionism is improved upon, and that we restore the values, ideology and principles on which NANS was founded. These principles such as uncompromising solidarity, intellectualism and the quest for quality and affordable education across all levels will be my guiding principle through this administration, so help me God.
Long live NANS/JCC Oyo state,
Long live NANS South-West Zone
Long live NANS National
Long live Nigerian students.
Aluta continua, victoria e certa!!!BEING THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF COMRADE ASUBIOJO OLUJUWON(MARSHAL), THE CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS / JOINT CAMPUS COMMITTEE, OYO STATE, NIGERIA, ON THIS DAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
Greatest Nigerian Students!!!
Comrades from all cadres of the Nigerian Academic
It is with deep feeling of belief and intense enthusiasm that I stand before you all on this great occasion, one that marks the beginning of a new era in the leadership of our great union.
Today, no doubt opens a new chapter in the historical records of students’ unionism in Oyo state, and creates an opportunity for us to make the changes we so desire. I am immensely grateful and forever indebted to all those who made this happen, and to all Senators and members of NANS/JCC Oyo state for the confidence they have put in me. I promise you that this administration will continue to make you proud even for years to come. I declare that I shall, to the best of my ability uphold the core values and profound principles that serve as the foundation of our great association and the invaluable bedrock of unionism in Nigeria. Trust Me when I say this fellow Comrades-We can, and will restore NANS to the great heights it once was!
Ladies and gentlemen, as much as I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity, I cannot overlook and I am completely mindful of the overwhelmingly enormous task ahead of us, and the huge responsibility that is being placed upon me today. However, I am not shaken one bit by the challenge as I know that I can always knock on your doors for support and take it to bank anytime of the day. I am equally rest assured that the great students in Oyo state and in Nigeria at large will always respond to support and show solidarity forever with what remains the last defender of injustice for Nigerian students anywhere, the mother body of all Nigerian students in the nation.
Fellow Comrades, members of the Press, I can boast all day about the might of the National Association of Nigerian Students, and what our antecedents are, but while our history is necessary to guide us, I am a man who always asks – what does the future hold? What does the future hold for unionism in Oyo state? What does the future hold for students’ leadership in Oyo state? What does the future hold for education in Oyo state and Nigeria at large? It is my hope that our administration will answer these questions to the satisfaction of everyone seated here.
Foremost on my mind is the continuous clamp own of students unions and activism in our institutions. As I speak now, several institutions in this state do not have a student’s union, and many of those that do cannot boast of an independent union. This situation is largely due to the unwillingness of the management of tertiary institutions to recognize the indispensable role of students in the development and progress of such institutions. Students are partners in progress, and a university or college administrator who fails to understand this is definitely unfit to lead such institutions. We frown at the continuous suspension of all students ’ unions in Oyo state, and call on the respective institution to ensure the reinstatement of an independent union, otherwise, they will have my administration to contend with. We will also work towards developing a legal framework that will prevent managements of tertiary institutions from unilaterally suspending or dissolving any union.
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN:
Specifically, I use this opportunity to call on the management of University of Ibadan, our nation’s premier university and pride of Oyo state to immediately reinstate the suspended union and all rusticated union leaders. We have carefully followed the order of events in the University and consulted with relevant stakeholders, and hold no doubt that the University authorities have overstepped and contravened the principles of freedom, equity and justice.
Injustice is evident in the continuous suspension of the union, and in the recent rustication of Ojo Aderemi – the erstwhile union president, Asiwaju Ibrahim, the erstwhile SRC Speaker, and three other union leaders in the university, all for daring to employ the weapon of a peaceful protest to demand for the release of validly paid I.D Cards which the administration collected for two academic sessions.
We consider this as an act of injustice to all Nigerian students, and we will employ all legal machineries, use all valid means and expend all available resources of the National Association of Nigerian Students to ensure our demands are met as regards to the University of Ibadan. We are particularly appalled by the consistency in student victimization and blatant oppression that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka has displayed to the entire students’ body of the university, through arbitrary intimidation and undue regular rustication of Student Activists and the absurd lack of accountability that has been shown in the management’s actions. We are hereby demand for the unconditional redress and reversal of the students disciplinary committees’ decision to rusticate Ojo Aderemi and four others, the immediate reinstatement of an independent students’ union, a public account for the over #60million naira collected for the production of ID cards, and an institutional reform to put an end to all forms oppression and clamp down on students’ rights in the University. If these demands are not speedily met, Professor Olayinka should be prepared to face the legal wrath of the greatest Nigerian students.
EDUCATION IN OYO STATE:– We wish to congratulate the Governor-Elect of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde for his unprecedented victory at the State polls. We are encouraged by the zeal, commitment and passion he has shown even before receiving the mandate of the people of Oyo State to address the fundamental problems of education the Pace Setter state has been facing. We hereby wish to use this medium to make it known to all and sundry that NANS JCC Oyo is neither political nor partisan and will not reduce itself to the level of political puppetry or partisan activism at any time. We are aware of all the lovely promises the Governor-Elect has made towards the improvement of education in the state and will ensure that we hold him accountable to such promises so we can together take Oyo State to its rightful seat at the top rung of education in Nigeria.
CONTINOUS HIKE IN FEES OF INSTITUTIONS:
This administration also condemns and will zealously fight against the illegal, callous and unpatriotic act of always looking to hike students’ fee as a revenue model for our public institutions. We make bold to state that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes quality and free education at all levels and in all public institutions, and until the Federal Government of Nigeria publicly declares that they are unable to carry on with this (in which case they would have us to contend with), no university, polytechnic or college administrator anywhere in the State whether in the rural or urban centres has the right to increase the fees or introduce any unaffordable levy to the fee schedule of students. We will continue to put pressure on the government to ensure adequate funding to our institutions, and at the same time positively engage the management of our tertiary institutions to develop innovative and creative ideas for revenue generation without hurting the already impoverished students who cannot afford these exorbitant fees. We call on all academic and non-academic staff unions to unleash their comradeship apparatus and join us in achieving this lofty goal. Education is the right of all and must be free for all!!!
POLICE BRUTALITY AND HARASSMENT:
NANS JCC Oyo State vehemently condemns the unchecked instances of Police brutality, pointless extortion, perpetual intimidation and undue harassment of students and other members of the public by suspected SARS Operatives and Security Operatives in the State especially around Iwo Road, Dugbe, Mokola in Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Oja-Oba in Oyo, Saki, and other areas of the state. We are not against due process of law or valid police investigation, but the cases of routine arbitrary arrests, public harassment and extortion under the baseless pretexts of apprehending suspected Internet Fraudsters must stop henceforth.
We call on the Commissioner of Police for Oyo State to intervene and call these unruly miscreants to order. This administration is committed to the eradication of this heinous act and will not hesitate to equally expose and report all erring officers to the appropriate authorities and bring them to the book for their unjustifiable action. Let that be publicized.
SITUATION IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN OYO STATE:
While we commend the rapid reinstatement of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic’s students’ union barely 48 hours after its suspension and urge all other institution to take a cue from them, we must warn against any plan to introduce anti-student policies including fee hikes and suppression of students’ rights.
We also condemn the current situation in The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where the Students’ Union was suspended due to security challenges on campus. The role of the students’ union in ensuring peace and security on campus cannot be over-stated, and while we appreciate the management of that institution for attempting to ensure peace and security, we affirm that suspending the union is the worst way to achieve that. We call for an immediate reinstatement of the union, as they work hand in hand with the school management to ensure sustainable peace and security on campus.
We have also been made aware of the situation in the School of Nursing, where students are made to pay high school fees; incommensurate to the kind of services they are offered. We call for an acceleration of the effort to make the institution a degree awarding one, as is well deserved by the students and staff of the school.
CONCLUSION:
The National Association of Nigerian Students remains the face of students’ unionism in Nigeria.
We are at a critical stage where we need to reposition our association to the great heights it once was. The priority of my administration will be to ensure that the image of NANS and unionism is improved upon, and that we restore the values, ideology and principles on which NANS was founded. These principles such as uncompromising solidarity, intellectualism and the quest for quality and affordable education across all levels will be my guiding principle through this administration, so help me God.
Long live NANS/JCC Oyo state,
Long live NANS South-West Zone
Long live NANS National
Long live Nigerian students.
Aluta continua, victoria e certa!!!
