Editorial: The Death Of Student Unionism In Nigerian Universities

Aluta continua
Aluta continua
Aluta - Kposa x2

Aluta continua!

Our bursary  must be paid
Our bursary  must be paid
Our bursary - kposa x2

Education must be free
Education must be free
Education - kposa x2

Aluta continua - Victoria acerta!




Last week i was on facebook and saw a post made a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (NAU). According to him, the school management has handicapped the student union Government in his school. He further said "Imagine lecturers telling students to knee down in class and even the student union government are not even doing anything about it." 

BRIEF HISTORY OF UNIONISM
Student unionism began in 1925 with the emergency of West African Student Union (WASU) and was partly pioneered by some Nigerian students in London. They fought the colonial masters for the rights of Africans.

National Union of Nigeria Students (NUNS) inherited the same idealism from WASU and the student union matched on as a platform of change and of informed activism.
The union then enjoyed support from radical intellectuals and academia. The union leaders were purely idealist and fire brands. Under the leadership of Segun Okeowo, NUNS became directly involved in national politics for proper funding of education for Nigeria students.
They suffered all manners of maltreatment yet remain adamant insisting they are fighting against the forces of feudalism, parochialism and tyranny in our political system.

NUNS suffered all forms of brutality under the administration of a man that see nothing good in Nigeria student and who has zero tolerance to student unionism, General Olusegun Obasanjo. He even placed ban on NUNS but kudos to the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shegari’s that lifted the ban leading to birth of National Association of Nigeria Student in 1980.

History has shown that even long before independence, Students Union have acted the role of watch dog in checking the excesses of the colonial authorities. Student union then, were more or less a pressure group whose activities were focused in bringing about better education, good leadership, self-rule and positive change in the people among other things. Whatever these unions considered unfavorable and unconstitutional’, they stand firm and unthreatened in opposing such and because their course is just, unbiased and honest, they have almost always succeeded in achieving their target objectives.

It is therefore not out of place that, the citizenry were ever ready to render all the necessary support to these student unions is whichever way possible to ensure that they achieve their agitations. Because people then have the belief in the activities and motivations of these groups, it is considered a “forgone conclusion” that whatever they are agitating for, is for the good of the students and indirectly the poor helpless masses hence support tends to be massive and in all forms: financials, moral, intellectual and in cases where applicable, human power. In those days, people seemed to have actually given there all to unionism. A true and bona fide unionism, which yielded the fruits of its activities as effectively as its members are firmly sincere to their responsibilities.

No doubt, historians have acknowledged that one of the key institutions of nationalism among English – speaking West Africa in the inter war period was a student Union.

PRESENT DAY UNIONISM

The National Association Of Nigerian Students (NANS) is  characterized by never do wells as most of the persons chosen to represent various schools in the NANS setup opt to steal and act in like manners as the senators and house of representatives members of the federal republic of Nigeria. It is no news that the representatives of various schools in the NANS setup dilly dally with politicians thereby throwing every iota of hope we had in them away.

Presently, the rot in system has been widely observed. According to insiders, campaigns are financed dubiously, and election rigging is usual. Embezzlement and corruption are rampant, too, and administration lacks meaningful impact at all levels.
Most universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have their own student union. These unions are all affiliated to the National Association of Nigerian Students.
In each school, the student union (also called SUG) is usually composed of the Executive, the Legislative, and a Congress, which is the entire body of students.

At the start of a new session, elections are held and students vote for a new set of SUG leaders. Aspirants normally spend a huge sum to organise election campaigns. In some schools, an aspiring SUG president could spend one million nairas or more on their election campaign.
Aspirants get some money from friends, family and other personal sources to finance their campaign. However, many aspirants get financial backing from external politicians who usually intend to gain the favour of the students on that campus.

Student union leaders are not statutorily paid for their work. However, the unions make a lot of money from student levies, corporate sponsorships, alumni donations and grants from the school management. The union leaders are in charge of these funds, and this is one attraction for aspiring leaders.

So many students complain of the insensitivity of Unions to their plight
Union leaders are very influential on campus, and policy makers in government and school management understand this. So union leaders might be offered bribes and other things of attraction to get them to support, oppose or stay neutral about specific policies.
“I once heard one state government gave the state university’s SUG N1 million to hush the students during a campus uprising concerning a school fee hike,” says James Olayiwola, who was recently a student leader.

Furthermore, while in office, SUG leaders get to interact with top officials within the school administration, the corporate sector and the political system. This gives the students the opopportunity to make important connections and ingratiate themselves with powerful contacts. It is like laying a foundation for future political or career ambitions.
On paper, there are actually mechanisms to ensure appropriate conduct throughout the political process and punish misconduct. However, the mechanisms are often lax and scarcely employed, and corrupt student leaders have no trouble exploiting the loopholes.

For example, the constitution of the student union in many Nigerian schools stipulates that the accounts of the particular union should be audited regularly by the bursar or the auditor whom the school management appoints. The union also has to make public its budget and expenditure for the session. However, in reality, nobody enforces these rules and union leaders have a lot of room to beat them.

Also, in case of misconduct, the Congress is the supreme organ of the union. Any decision made by it is final. Students can dismiss and call for the punishment of a corrupt union leader through a simple majority. However, this hardly happens. Many ordinary students are apathetic about political affairs, because they believe the system is compromised already and that it would be fruitless to take part in such political meetings.

In 2012 the Student Union president of Ebonyi State University collected Bribe from the then governor of the state and signed that the student should pay additional 10,000 naira as damages incurred from protests they carried as a result of over 200% hike in their tuition fees

FOR SURE IF THE AFFILIATION OF STUDENTS TO A UNION IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IS OPTIONAL MANY STUDENTS WILL OPT NOT TO BE MEMBERS

THE CASE OF UNIPORT, UNILAG AND THEIR PROTESTS
The story about the strike embarked upon by the University of Lagos (Unilag) and University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) is very much related to tuition and better life for the students of both schools, in the case of Unilag the student union president was arrested and tortured, while we encourage the courage of the union’s president in showing is zero tolerance to any impediment of the free flow of its student educational life by ensuring the basic amenities necessary for learning e.g Light, Water, Transportation e.t.c  is provided and well accounted for, we condemn the activities of the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students for keeping mute. The leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students with that of Uniport student union also kept mute as two students was killed in Uniport protest.

Read below the:
uniportunrest saga
unilagunrest saga

The days when the Student union dictated the pace of the Nigerian socio economic scene is long gone
But how can we bring it back?

Article written by -- Benjamin Solomon