POSTPONEMENT OF HALL ELECTIONS IS TANTAMOUS TO PROSCRIPTION OF HALL LEADERSHIP. • For A Mass Mobilisation of the rank and file of the conscious layers to fight the neo-liberal policies of the University Management. • A NEED FOR A CONGRESS OF STUDENTS’ UNION NOW..! Recently in the university community, the Adewole led administration has once again reveal their ever readiness to infiltrate independent students’ union and break the ranks of student layers so that their neo- liberal policies, anti-students’ policies will be successfully imposed on students. In not less than 3 weeks ago, the rumour flying round the generality of students is basically about the postponement of hall elections. The character of the university management under the led- administration of Prof. Adewole is nothing different from that of Nigeria thieving elites. In the current dispensation of Prof. Adewole administration, students within and outside the university community has in one way or the other suffer from the contradictions of his neo- liberal policies and anti- students policies which is at all time to defend the interest of their pay masters, the federal government, who consciously they are yes men to. Since November 2010 that Prof. Isaac Adewole was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan the question of raising students, producing graduates who are well rounded in participating in the transformation of the rotten capitalist system is left untouched. It is important to briefly highlight to the ranks of students the characters of the rotten existing university system. There has been about 7-8 students general protest against the imposition of these anti- students policies and sub- standard welfare conditions of students. It could be recalled that the university has been shot down for months aside the incessant ASUU strikes. But notwithstanding, the existing state of student conditions further testify that the Adewole administration is not ever ready to make life comfortable for we ordinary students. From all indications, the persistent failure of the university system will actually sharpen student orientation towards embarking on mass actions to salvage the union from the recent situation dilemma. One of the indications, as I have made mention earlier, is the rumour currently flying round the students’ community. The university management through all hall wardens who are their stooges proposes to postpone hall elections. This proposal of the university management is not ordinarily to shift elections at various hall levels rather it is a tactical approach by the Adewole led administration to proscribe leadership at hall levels. The reason for these neo-liberal policies of the university management is not far-fetched. Students can still recall that at the inception of this current academic session the university management proposed to increase hall accommodation fee from 14,000 to 60,000, due to the failure then, they deem it fit to implement these come 2013/2014 academic session while the freshers were being mandated to pay an acceptance fee of #20,000 which is 100% increment. The step which is to fully hand over the halls to private contractors and further privatized all existing public facilities within the reach of students. The privatization method of the university management is accurately synonymous to the character of Nigeria thieving ruling elites who are currently privatizing public sectors of the economy and handing them over to their fellow looters and private partners. Meanwhile, the readiness of the students’ union under the led leadership of Edosa to wage titanic struggle against the accommodation increment brought us to this current state that we have to battle with skeletal electric stoves at our kitchenettes and the hall largely de-populated. The University of Ibadan is a residential university and by so about 60% of student population must be living in the halls- this is contrary to what is currently obtainable! The Adewole led administration is coming out again next academic session to further build on their anti-student policies launched in January, 2013. Having said this, it is clearly given that shifting hall elections is a tactical step by Adewole to proscribe student leadership at hall levels so that they can easily win the struggle of accommodation fee increment. The method is quite simple! If student leadership at hall levels is destroyed, students will have no rallying point to mobilise themselves or organize mass movement and mass actions to wage a successful struggle against the fee increment. For the fact that we have an existing students’ union is not an enough alternative to organize students for mass actions. At this juncture, the rank and file of students, the advanced and conscious ones should start a mass mobilization towards mounting political pressure on the reactionaries. Mass campaign kicking against commercialisation and privatization of education, victimization of students, and attack on students’ democratic rights should be built on the generality of students.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 03:36:24 +0000
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