Let us for a moment make our way down the memory lane to ‘occupy Nigeria’, a socio-political protest movement that began in Nigeria on Monday, 2nd January 2012 in response to the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government of president Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday, 1st January 2012. During the saga, the NLC issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government, promising to halt the economy of the country by Monday, 9th January 2012.
Quoting Denja Yakubu of NLC verbatim, he said “We are shutting down the Nigerian airspace to local and international flights from Sunday night.” The interesting part of the whole issue is the response of the Federal Government.
The Government commenced a ‘massive mass transit scheme’ aimed at cushioning the effect of the subsidy removal on transportation. We can recall that at last, an agreement was peacefully reached by the NLC and the Federal Government.
Now fast forward to April 7th 2016, when the University of Lagos students “peacefully” protested against the untold hardship they have been going through. How did the University management respond to this?
Firstly, at early hours of Friday 8th April 2016, the University management shipped squad of armed men of the Nigerian police force (when I say armed, I am not talking about koboko, I am saying loaded guns, teargas and armored tanks were brought into the school premises).
It is noteworthy that compared to what happened in the UNIPORT recently, the UNILAG students’ protest was a peaceful one and also that for as long as the protested lasted, the VC never deemed it fit to address his students.
Secondly, the acting DSA Mr. Ogbinaka Karo on media chat, vomited lies (I wonder how such people would make heaven?) Next came suspension of the student union and coercion of every students to sign undertaken. The management after three weeks, called the students back to campus with some stringently insane rules and regulations.
Actually, one shouldn’t have a problem with signing an undertaken. So far as it goes a long way to proffer solution or rather keep one in check. However, this re-absorption oath, we the Akokites are about to sign is nowhere near trying to keep us in check. We are literally signing our souls to the devil. For instance No. 1 declaration states that;
I will pay due respect and obedience to the authorities of the University of Lagos and I will faithfully observe all regulations, which may from time to time, be issued for the good administration of the University.
Going all through to No. 7,
In case of any breach of any of the class of this oath, the senate has the sole prerogative to apply appropriate sanctions.
You can now understand without hesitation that this Management has already assumed the position of a God which cannot be questioned. They are now bunch of IDI-AMINS, so that even when you are on the verge of breaking, keep mute.
It was at this juncture that I concluded that the fundamental human rights of students are about to be destroyed, massacred, trampled on or maybe thrown to the winds.
Even the Almighty God, human beings fail to obey him in toto. Our parents alike, we sometimes challenge them so to speak. But the school wants a set of puppets they control with strings, the school wants us to keep quiet while we die in suffering.
I must confess that the management is made up of just a bunch of clueless entities. Homo-sapiens without human feelings. Well, I don’t really expect much from a Chemical Engineer who obviously does not know anything about Human relation and leadership.
At this point, UNILAG needs a messiah to stop this impending doom as students whose thoughts are clouded with short term benefits are already signing their freedom and rights away into the ugly claws of the school authorities.
I must remind the students that when the chips are down, the school will remind you of what you signed and then you have nothing to do whatsoever other than be a robot playing according to their every command, keeping mute and been eaten from the inside until you die away.
In summary, the question is, in our pursuit for BSc, are we actually living??? So many things are going wrong within the walls of UNILAG that the timid public doesn’t know.
We need a savior to purge this community of evil thus Let the students unite as Great Akokites, let us fight for our rights, we are in school and not in a prison. Let me end this with something from Eminem (sing along)
“And I just can’t keep living this way, so starting today, am breaking out of this cage.
I’m standing up, I’mma face my demons, I’m manning up, I’mma hold my ground.I’ve had enough, time to put my life together right now”
