Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)

For struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

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Socialist Democracy March - April 2005

OAU CRISIS: Authorities Must Find Lasting Solution, Not Victimisation

By: Raheem Ibrahim

It appears the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife attach more priority to making scapegoats out of some student activists over addressing the issues that led the students into the November 3, 2004 protest and the subsequent 3-month closure of the university. Instead of finding lasting solution to the crisis, they have opted to aggravate it with the recent summary expulsion of the current Public Relation Officer, PRO, of the students' union and the invitation of some other student activists to an obvious vindictive disciplinary panel.

Those invited to the panel, including four members of DSM viz. Dayo Fadugba, Lawson Oviasoge, Olumide Ogunlabi and Muyiwa Aderibigbe, are facing the threat of loss of studentship while Taiwo Hassan, another activist, already serving two-session suspension for his leading roles in the struggle against imposition of illegal charges at the beginning of the session, is on the verge of being handed an outright expulsion.

This planned victimization is part of draconian and repressive measures the management has put up since the re-opening of the university on February 3 as the response to the November 3 student protests. Students resumed after the closure to meet an atmosphere of repression and expression of crude anger by the management.

DSM members and the other activists were alleged to be among the masterminds and perpetrators of the assault on the university officials and destruction of university property in the course of the protest of November 3.

Muyiwa Aderibigbe was specifically singled out by two University agents, Bode and Odofin Rotimi, as the actual assaulter of the vice-chancellor. This is a thumped up charge against an innocent union activist, as all the available facts do not support the allegation. For instance, the quislings originally nicknamed the assaulter of the vice-chancellor as "Old Soldier" but whom they later identified as Muyiwa. However, Muyiwa, who has spent more than 3 years in the university as a student is at no time known as "old soldier". He goes around with the nickname "Liptino". He had contested and won two elections on the campus, first as Director of Sport of his faculty students' association and later as a member of students' union parliament. He is still in the parliament representing his faculty. In both elections, he used the name "Liptino" which was printed on his campaign materials and even the ballot paper. Despite the mountain of facts in favour of Muyiwa, the management, having been beclouded by emotion at great expense of reason, may not leave him off the hook. Muyiwa is an unfortunate victim of the desperation of the agents to invent just somebody as the perpetrator of the physical assault badly wanted by the management in order to justify their pay and continue enjoying the patronage of the later.

Of course, on the basis of the ideas of Marxism, which we profess and identified with on the campus and beyond, we of DSM could not have masterminded and supported the counter-productive approach of assault on individual university officers and destruction of properties. Moreover, in all our publications and comments on the event of November 3, we have condemned the assault and dissociated ourselves from it and unsparingly helped draw the correct lesson for students and authorities alike.

But we are not however surprised that some of our comrades have been penciled down for victimization. This is because of our long-standing and uncompromising defence of the rights and interests of students on the campus. It will be recalled that for almost six years, until 2001, Anthony Fasayo and 9 other comrades were politically expelled from the same university. Authorities were forced to re-call them due to sustained local, national and international campaigns and agitations. Also, a comrade Dayo Fadugba, the immediate past Public Relation Officer of the students' union only at present enjoys temporary studentship on the basis of a court injunction. This comrade, who is also among those facing the current panel, was suspended in 2003 along with three others: Akinkunmi Olawoyin, Olugbemiga Adewale and Abass Hassan, for leading students' struggle against some obnoxious charges imposed by the authorities.

On the basis of our leading roles against the characteristic anti-student, anti-worker policies of the management, the penchant of the authorities for witch-hunting and the antecedent of the university, there is high possibility for the DSM members and other activists to be declared "guilty as charged" irrespective of their robust defence over the November 3 incident.

Combined with political campaign to resist the planned victimization, the DSM members and the other affected activists have resolved to opt for legal representation and actions. Unfortunately, the Students' union leadership is at present dominated by moribund elements that cannot fight for improvement in the living and studying conditions of students, let alone lead struggle against the current wave of victimization. It is a matter of time, in line with the militant tradition of Great Ife students, these feeble characters will be pushed to the roadside if not permanently shown the way out of the union offices. Great Ife must rise up against the victimization and in defence of their rights and interests.

UNRESOLVED ISSUES MUST BE ADDRESSED

Instead of aggravating the crisis situation which the recent expulsion of the union PRO and the looming victimization of the union activists now facing a vindictive panel portend, the authorities should recall all the politically victimized student activists including those that only enjoy temporary studentship on the basis of court injunction and halt the culture of victimization.

The authorities must note that their prevailing draconian actions and their inability or refusal to find lasting solution to unresolved issues have the potential of engendering another round of crisis in the institution. Therefore, to prevent another evil day, the university must ensure the immediate payment of the two-month salaries of the academic staff and that of other staff unions withheld in the same circumstance. The payment of the lecturers' salaries will facilitate release of student examination results. The authorities should also immediately initiate a positive discussion with ASUU and other workers' union in this direction. They must commit themselves to comprehensive improvement in the studying and living conditions on the campus.

We call on students and workers to join us to demand and fight for the following:

� Unconditional reinstatement of Peter Olowokandi, Taiwo Hassan and all other politically victimized student activists and end to the culture of victimisation.

� The immediate payment of the two-month salaries of the academic staff and that of other staff unions withheld in the same circumstance.

� The Immediate release of the withheld semester exam results.

� Qualitative improvement in the living and studying conditions on the campus.

� Apology and heavy compensation to the family of the slain student, Rasheed Laketu, by the University authorities and the Nigerian Police

� Never again should policemen be invited into the campus in response to unarmed student and staff agitations, protest/demonstrations. No Police Post on campus!

� The university's security committee must be dissolved immediately and re-composed to include representatives of students and other segments of the university community.

� Democratic management of the resources and affairs of the institutions of higher learning with the inclusion of the elected representatives of students, teaching and non-teaching staffs in all decision making bodies from committees to the Governing Council.

� Adequate commitment of the collectively owned wealth of the society to the funding of public education.

� No to privatisation of student hostels

Lastly, we call on the labour, civil society groups, working people organisations and students bodies, nationally and internationally to protest the prevailing wave of victimization and unwholesome attack on students and workers' rights.

Letter of protest should be sent to

The vice-chancellor

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

E-mail: [email protected]

The registrar

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

E-mail: [email protected]

And then copy: [email protected] .

Socialist Democracy March - April 2005