THE
PLACE OF STUDENTS AND STUDENTS UNIONISM IN TODAY’S NIGERIA
FROM THE STABLE OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA
She
waked up to me that evening like a crystal like diamond, she shaped her teeth
in amusement of what I was yet to understand. Most ladies have tried to teach
me to become afraid when ladies come to me smiling without reason. But, I am
the optimistic type, every news that smile around me always turns out to cause
smile to hundreds of those around me. “I am actually a blessing”, I thought.
What on earth does she have in mind? I was watching, she was smiling, but yet,
I didn’t know the reason why I was watching.
She
brought a paper, it looked like a flier of some sort, and the dominant red and yellow
colour spoke an interpretation I was yet to understand─ ALUTA STUDENTS LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE with the theme: THE PLACE OF STUDENTS AND UNIONISM IN TODAY’S
NIGERIA. No doubt, she had a reason to smile, students leadership is worth
conferencing and she is giving me an invitation to be part of it. “Oh! I’m
already part of it, why should you think that I am out? “, I asked. “I trust
you, I am here just in case”, she replied.
The place is
wide and like Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Leadership
has been described as "a process of social
influence in which one person can enlist the
aid and support
of others in the accomplishment of a common task". For example, some understand a leader simply
as somebody whom people follow, or as somebody who guides or directs others,
while others define leadership as "organizing a group of people to achieve
a common goal".
The
students in the making are leaders, and to great extent their ability and to a
great extent their ability and their courage is the strength of every nation.
Ignorance of the popular saying that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, most
students have taken a great ride of leadership, strengthening the fact that the
youths are also leaders of the day! The Nigerian situation is in need of
unionism although the political environment tries to give a new and
none-welcoming definition of unionism. The power of the ‘Aluta’ is the victory
that is ‘acerta’ and this victory can only be achieved when your minds and
souls commit a romance. That is why I am part of it─ to let the world understand
the place of students and student’s unionism in Nigeria. The Aluta Newspaper
leads this ride; the request is for students and the general populace in the students
community to come with their demands and questions to achieve a together
reasoning and a voice of freedom. We are the leaders of tomorrow!
It is said, ‘if nothing is done about anything, things
will remain the way they are”. It is with great enthusiasm and unbridled
sobriety that I decided to write on this issue that is of uttermost importance
to the welfare and growth of our society and the nation at large.
Student unionism began in 1925 with the emergency of
West African Student Union (WASU) and was partly pioneered by some Nigerian
students in London. They fought the colonial masters for the rights of
Africans.
National Union of Nigeria Students (NUNS) inherited the same idealism from WASU
and the student union matched on as a platform of change and of informed
activism.
The union then enjoyed support from radical
intellectuals and academia. The union leaders were purely idealist and fire brands.
Under the leadership of Segun Okeowo, NUNS became directly involved in national
politics for proper funding of education for Nigeria students.
They suffered all manners of maltreatment yet remain adamant insisting they are
fighting against the forces of feudalism, parochialism and tyranny in our
political system.
NUNS suffered all forms of brutality under the
administration of a man that see nothing good in Nigeria student and who has
zero tolerance to student unionism, General Olusegun Obasanjo. He even placed
ban on NUNS but kudos to the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shegari’s that
lifted the ban leading to birth of National Association of Nigeria Student in
1980.
Looking back, the NUNS/NANS of old were effective and
progressive in line with the nature and place of the Universities at the time
as a strategic resource for the production of ideas and manpower for societal
growth. Students were at the centre of this as agents of change and leaders of
tomorrow with strong stake in the future of the community. But today, students
are the centre of cultism, fraud and prostitution.
Aside NANS national leadership intellectual collapse,
the various structures of the union- state joint committee and students’ unions
have either sold to politicians or lack the requisite intellectual wherewithal
to lead successful and genuine struggles of students. While I blame the student
leaders, I must also blame the school authorities and the state in destroying
the legacy of genuine students’ unionism either by buying over of student
leaders or by use of naked force like police and victimization to deal with
genuine student activists.
It is time the Nigerian students call these leaders to
order and stop them from mortgaging us for lucre. It is time we the Nigerian
students start afresh and build a new organization that will base its ideas on
transformation of the society from the decadent neo-liberal system that
prioritize profit for the rich few against the warfare of the people; to an
egalitarism system where the wealth of the country will be collectively used
for the people’s need against that of imperialism and its hangers-on in the
country polity.
We should understand that obstacle to growth of active
unionism in Nigerian campuses is lack of focus and cogent reasons of our
struggles. It is time we see reason to uphold the genuine legacies of unity
that has once existed and return to the status quo and not just participate in
the union’s activities to fulfill our ulterior motives.
As Edward Albee would say, “sometimes it is necessary to go a long distance out
of the way (to learn) in order to come a short distance correctly”.
We demand that Unizik stand up for our heroes, the
legends are coming home. Aluta Leadership Conference is showing us our legends,
some have been sung, some have not, but we have decided to sing, and with our
voice in one accord we produce a sweet melody. Fellow Nigerian students, our
struggle for better tomorrow continues.
Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta!
THE
SUG UNIZIK THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL IN COLLABORATION
WITH MRS. ANGELA ONUKO-NMOH (CID INTERNATIONAL UK) invites all Anambra
State students to “CAMPUS ORATORY CARNIVAL 2014”