Adedokun Seyi Godsent, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Union Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan (UCJUI) replies UI Alumus, Kayode Bello following his recent posts about made on the official Students Union Facebook page about the "Lists Of Student Leaders Who Failed The Union"
On the 26th of September, Kayode Bello shook a table posting on his timeline that he would soon release the List of Student Leaders who failed the Students Union. The post reads;
The new Students' Union, University of Ibadan. Ojo Aderemi and others have failed the Union.
The list of those that failed the Union will be out soon. Shewa Adekoya is one of them.
Over 100 Students' Union members are facing Prof. Olayinka-led disciplinary committee for fighting for the rights of others. They would suspend or expel them before it is Dawn.
No single statement from some of those UI graduates contesting for electoral positions at the local or national level. Things have fallen apart. The Centre can no longer hold.
Three days later, He released a statement, making mention of past Student leaders, pointed out their weaknesses and how he felt they failed the Students' Union. His Statement reads;
THOSE THAT FAILED THE STUDENTS' UNION?
From Tokunbo Salako to Ojo Aderemi, one thing common has been their non-readiness to sacrifice even their certificate for the common good. They have been entangled in the societal need to survive.
They have thrown in the towel at most crucial moments.
Take for instance the then students at the Fisheries Department of the University of Ibadan that were suspended. Three of them faced the Students' Disciplinary Committee (SDC) viz Tokunbo Salako, former Students' Union President, Wonne Afronelly and one Balkis. It happened that Tokunbo Salako was freed while others were suspended. That is part of the failure I opine. Today, the same institution, Students' Union is in shambles courtesy a man, prof. Olayinka Idowu. This write-up x-rays the gradual extinction of the Students' Union.
For Edosa Ekhator, former Students' Union president, the University of Ibadan, it was a case that he conspicuously ran away during the no-cooking policy of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Adewole Isaac, the incumbent Health Minister, and he got into financial impropriety at the Students' Union level culminating into a students' disciplinary issue. The case was silenced but it was used to witch-hunt him not to fight for the students at large. His executive members became pawns in the hands of the University of Ibadan.
The fact that Babatunde Badmus and his team were sent abroad by Prof. Adewole Isaac was seen as means of silencing them which was later and throughout his (Babatunde Badmus) administration ascribed as reason for non-performance of the latter despite his promises to fight for the welfare of students even if it would cost him his certificate.
Odesola Femi was declared unfit and hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the University College Teaching Hospital when he was needed most. During that time a student called Mayowa died at the Jaja clinic of the University. Students agitated for proper welfare but when Odesola returned and up till date the welfare report of students did not see the light of the day.
The baton was passed to Aliyu olateju who witnessed the Free mote struggle due to Tunji Mote's suspension for a semester for leading protest against no water no light in the University. Most of those that were key members of the Union became silent until it was glaring Mote was one of them and they could be next. The school was locked but the students returned into worse situation. It resulted into what Tokunbo Salako, Shewa Adekoya, Babatuntude Badmus and Niniola Toheeb faced or were to face the disciplinary committee. It was reported that Shewa was scared and resorted into begging the powers that be within and outside the University a signal that made the University authorities pounce on other student-activitists agitating for welfare and good learning condition.
Nifemi Ojo, a rather too quiet person for the Aluta spirit needed for the emancipation of the students found himself and his vice in one financial mess or the other, and the imbroglio that ensued between the executive and legislative arms was capitalized upon by the school's management.
Ojo Aderemi, a known figure to rejuvenate the spirit of activism and unionism among the students was adjudged to have withdrawn finally to his shell after the May 2017 protest accusing Prof. Olayinka Idowu of financial impropriety on the issuance of identity cards for students among other sundry issues. At the moment, over 100 Students'Union members are facing protracted disciplinary committee for fighting legitimately for others'welfare and needs in the University of Ibadan.
At each time, the students have always been at the receiving ends. Some students serve as ready spies for the management while some have their parents as members of staff thereby jeopardizing the struggle for the students' emancipation.
Today, as it has been reported, the students' union building is in a sorry decayed state.
Findings showed that Prof-Olayinka' s administration deliberately left the Union building in state of disarray maybe due to the allegedly reported hatred he has for Students' Unionism.
The no-cooking policy of Prof. Adewole of 2012 and 2013 is case where certificate and convocation of the author of this article have not been approved but the main Students' Union leaders past and present had kept mum.
The free-mote struggle had led to same case as with the author of this article against Mr. Niniola Toheeb, former Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
A picture here depicts the dilapidated state of the union building while other pictures are those of the past Union presidents being called upon to revive the institution that made them.
NEXT: OPEN ADDRESS TO PROF. OLAYINKA IDOWU, VICE CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN
This Statement above didn't go well with some Students and Alumni of the University of Ibadan and it led to Adedokun's reply and other comments on Social media.
Read Adedokun's reply below;
RE - KAY BELLO: YOU SAID TOO MUCH, BUT KNOW TOO LITTLE
This title does not tend to disrespect your person neither does it even tend to negate your own opinion on the almost axed student leaders. Overtime, we have tolerated and listened to you on this platform. The reason for listening to you cannot be overemphasized, which is not less than your reasonability and outspokenness when some matters are standing against students. You started by exposing us to the reason, why we must protest. You sent us documents, videos, articles of how you were molested and deprived of your right in times past - we are sorry for that. As times passed on, many of us were getting to know that you wanted to revenge through us.
It will be unwise of me to compete history with you, and the students' union you see today didn't start having problem today. You may say it is the cause of leadership, but that may be a total flaw because vox dei made the cock crow before winging away.
Mr. Kayode Bello, you have done well to analyse those that have failed the students' union, and even though we don't know about the past, Ojo Aderemi forms our present and even the future, if we can carry on. A hero is not known by winning, but his bold ability to confront forms of oppression is enough - even though we don't know the meaning of oppression anymore. Even you, yourself agree to the fact that it is better to fight and die there than to abort the fact - didn't he fight? As good as dying there may now seem to you, we should also remember that some things are not worth dying for. I can categorically say that we have given the School more evidence of why the Students' Union Building should be under lock and key because of how peaceful everything is nowadays. The only thing that pains me are the properties of people that were locked inside that building and the dilapidation which I think the school should shy away from it. That building still remains the property of the school and needs proper care. My 50 new books are there, anyways
On September 18 and 19, the executives and SRC members were invited by the School to the student affairs respectively. The SRC members, on the 19th were queried. Sir, I'm sure you don't know how the process of query went.
In the first place, why should they be queried? During the congress, the President and the Speaker were there to conduct the congress and the people said they wanted protest. As strong and enigma as Ojo is, the speaker and he, tried to make people understand many things that may come after. I could remember that no Honorable member of the SRC was around that place and not the executives form the quorum at all, but probably, they're there to suffer the punishment of the students that signed for protest. They are somewhere telling the world that they don't care now.
They entered the room in twenties or twenty-five and in a group of five, they were asked questions randomly. According to a SRC member, she gave the reason for such summon. She said, “they said we did not stop the protest and all...We explained to them that we did not sign up for the protest... Since we only spent four days in office, we know nothing about it...7th assembly is not guilty”.
Maybe you want Ojo Aderemi to fly in and rescue them, that remains your own opinion. It is better to softpedal, think better and stop faulting everyone on your table of offence.
To address your wounded thought, I beg to differ from your understanding sir. You've created a cobweb amidst your sentences and no one get to know what exactly are you faulting Ojo Aderemi on. Your first flaw was where you said “over 100 Students' Union members are facing protracted disciplinary committee for fighting legitimately for others'welfare and needs in the University of Ibadan” as against their evidence at the meeting on the 19th. A blind man would be able to fathom out that you have created a portmanteau. The SRC members said they were not guilty, you said they were fighting. Did they tell you that or you were there sir? And by the way, that should be part of Ojo Aderemi's failure, right?
Moving further, it is a sorry case for repeating and repeating what you faced during your own time. Can you just stop attaching what happened to you with present incidences? Yeah, it is very obvious you want to use these innocent minds as pawn. It is better to enter your own shell, lick your wound, behave like a strong person even if you're not one, pretend as if there is no past and move on with your life and stop walling students mind in.
If you want to fault Ojo Nifemi, all the best. The better thing for you is to never listen to your informant anymore. Obviously, you have someone who informs you about incidence on campus which helps you to form you opinion - “finding showed that......”. Such person would later falsify your being. The intention of Professor Olayinka to leave the building in disarray would have been justified if you have your fact. Who and who did you ask questions? Who said it's Olayinka's intention? Where is the voice note? What's your evidence? You can lie on something else sir - it is really annoying and childish of you.
Before you write an open letter to Olayinka, it would be nice if you judge things, not based on your own emotion. It would be cool if you don't neglect the “m'oja m'osa” and go on your own way. On this page, people only find it enthusiastic to read your rant, but it's cool if we are obscured from your weakness.
Man, as a bona-fide Campus Journalist, and one who even knows the pre-election (I sat and slept inside ucj office for a whole semester running articles overnight), election and post-election, Ojo Aderemi Administration only spent 24 days in office and the SRC members spent 4 days in office. How correct is your calculation? You can wait for the verdict of the Disciplinary Council in four weeks time after September 19.
My last question is: do you know what Ojo Aderemi is facing right now? I hope your informant get it right.
See screenshots of some comments below;
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