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Socialist Democracy November 2004

 

UNAAB CRISIS

Halt The Victimisation

By Ojo Olajire

On Monday, September 27, 2004, the students' union was having a meeting with GSM service provider to seek clarification on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as regards the radioactive impact of the MTN mast erected on campus on the students and the university community, the University Vice chancellor, Professor Israel Adu, in company of other management staff invaded the students' union secretariat, the venue of the said meeting, without any reason, collected the identity cards of the students' union officials with a verbal threat that they would be subsequently suspended from the university.

 

It is important to note that the clarification on the EIA of radioactive impact of mast raised by the students deserve an urgent attention on the part of service providers, not just in UNAAB alone but also every location where mast that emit such poisonous substances erected to guide the inhabitants against the hazardous effect of such mast. This once again shows the length in which the capitalist system could go in making profit at all cost without any consideration to the lives of the masses.

 

The UNAAB authorities have seen the students' union as its perceived enemy and therefore, looking for any slightest opportunity to clamp down on the union. The students' union has always promoted and protected the interest of the students on local and national matters. It led two mass protests of students against the incessant hike of petroleum products of Obasanjo led anti-people government on May 31, 2004 and again on the September 28, 2004.

 

Like one of its persistent struggles and campaigns against anti-students policies of the university's authorities, the students' union held its congress on September 30, 2004 to, among other things, seek clarifications from the university authorities on the arbitrary and purported postponement of examination, which was scheduled to start from Monday, October 4, 2004, and the reason for the suspension of some of the students' union officials from the university. Instead of discussing these issues with the students, the university's authorities shut down the school for two weeks and ordered the students to vacate the university within 24 hours.

 

Consequently, the Vice Chancellor invited the mobile policemen to the campus claiming that his life was in danger. Expectedly, the Police invaded the campus and started firing tear gas canisters indiscriminately at the students. In the process, scores of students were arrested and illegally detained for days at Eleweran Police Station while several others, including females, were physically molested and brutalized.

 

We condemn in strong term the action of the Vice Chancellor in inviting the police to a matter that could have been resolved amicably, and the brutality meted against the armedless protesting students by the police was barbaric and unimaginable.

 

However, despite the police brutality, we would like to state that the right to peaceful assembly and procession is guaranteed by the 1999 constitution. Section 40 of the same constitution guarantees freedom of association. So the students' union is not a cube of sugar that can just be dissolved at random.

 

Authorities real reason for the dissolution of the Student's Union is to have free hand to implement harsh welfare and academic policies against the students in the coming period like increase in school fee under different guises. We call on labour, pro-labour organisations, change seeking individuals, NANS, students' unions etc to support the UNAAB Students' Union in its present battle with the management and the following demand:

 

  • Immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all the students' union officials suspended from the University.

  • No to victimisation of students and staff.

  • Immediate reversal of dissolution of the students' union.

  • The University authorities and the Nigerian Police to be responsible for the medical bill of students who were injured as a result of the police brutality.

  • Relocation of mast to a safer place to protect inhabitants against the hazardous effect of the mast.

  • An independent panel of enquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the crisis of September 30, 2004. The panel should be made up of representatives of ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NANS, Students' union and the University Senate.

  • An independent panel of enquiry to probe the financial and administrative activities of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Israel Adu.

  • Adequate funding of the education

  • Democratic management of all decision-making bodies of the university comprising the elected representatives of workers' unions, students' union and the University Senate.

 

Send your letter of protest to:

 

The Vice Chancellor

University of Agriculture,

P.M.B 2240, Abeokuta

Ogun State.

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: 234-39-243045

 

And Email the sent letter to [email protected]

 

 

Socialist Democracy November 2004