Our Union, Our collective Responsibility

By Ajifowoke Olamide.

“The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows”. Martin Luther King Jr.

           Obafemi Awolowo University students are well known for their consciousness. To be conscious is to be alert mentally and awake against any form of security challenge, especially theft, which is very rampant in student’s environment. Back in the days, we talked about Universities that ladies could walk free from their hall of residence to academics around 3:00 am without any fear or intimidation, Great Ife tops the list.

When we talk about campuses that you could express your freedom of speech without intimidation, Great Ife lead and others follow. Out of my curiousity to know if there is this consciousness in other universities, I asked one of my cousins that study in the University of Lagos (UNILAG). He told me that in order to read in some faculties in UNILAG, you have to be with your StudentIdentification Card. We do not do such in OAU. No faculty staff will ever ask for your I.D card before you can read. OAU is a liberal ‘community’, fellow students cannot harass you. This is because of our consciousness.

When I was in 100 level, there was a vibrant Students’ Union. In fact, that was the only time I enjoyed full unionism on campus which I will never forget. T.Y's administration (former students’ union president) used to keep the school management on their toes, by making them known the challenges we were facing in terms of poor water supply and electricity.

During T.Y's regime, theft rate on campus was minimal because of our tradition of ‘SMS’ (Scientific Maximum Shishi). I could even say that T.Y was one of the past leaders that called for congresses which over 500 students attended.  Great Ife Students, what has gone wrong? Where is our consciousness? Our ladies can no longer walk alone to academics area anymore because of fear of the ‘unknown’. Even the rate of theft on campus now is enormous. Non-students now come to campus with the aim of stealing student’s properties.

The rate at which bus drivers intimidate students cannot be quantified. What about exploitations by market sellers, photocopier in the name of ‘bad economy’? What about Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library and the rate at which people steal students' bags? Last semester, I heard that the school security arrested some cultist, this practice was ‘alien’ to OAU community when there was still a vibrant Unionism on campus. No Great Ife Student will ever pray for July 10th 1994 massacre again.

These heroes died for us so that cultism will never arise on our campus again, we will not open our eyes and let their death be in vain. Steve Biko said and I quote; ‘Every onlooker is either a traitor or a coward’. I don’t want to be a coward in the face of injustice because injustice to one is an injustice to all. On this note, I will like to appeal to the School Management under the leadership of our Vice Chancellors: Professor  Eyitope Ogunbodede, to support us and play a fatherly role to reinstate the student union, so that the consciousness of Great Ife Students will not die.

Ajifowoke Olamide A
Final year Student of Philosophy Department,
Obafemi Awolowo University.
Social and Political Analyst
olamideajiflow@yahoo.com
+2348107389183