Thursday 27 June 2013

Polytechnic Workers Strike: Students Hold Protest in Lagos


Lateef Adams
ERC Coordinator, Lagos

Students from 7 polytechnics (Moshood Abiola Poly Abeokuta, Federal Polytechnic Offa, Federal Polytechnic Ede, Federal Polytechnic Ado, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Federal Polytechnic Bida and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH)) on Monday June 24 held a protest march against the refusal of the federal government to meet the demands of striking workers which has led to the closure of polytechnics nationwide. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) have been on strike for over 50 days without any serious effort by the government to address their demands. 


Since the beginning of the strike the members of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) have been involved in various campaigns and activities to force the government to honour the agreement it has reached with the striking workers since in 2009 so that the polytechnics will be reopened. The ERC members were part of the previous protest marches organized by the National Association of Polytechnics Students (NAPS) and SSANIP in Abuja and Lagos respectively while on its own organized mass activities in Bida and Minna Niger states over the issues. 


The June 24 action which was organized by a platform called Concerned Students against Education Commercialization took off at the main entrance of Yabatech. About 150 protesting students chanting solidarity and anti-government songs marched to the ever-busy Ikorodu Road to sensitize the public over the plight of polytechnics students. They also moved to some media houses in Lagos. 


The ERC members from University of Lagos, Yabatech and Federal Polytechnic Bida joined the protest with banner and leaflet highlighting demands of the striking workers, arguing that government has the capacity to meet the demands but for its anti-poor education policies and calling for mass support for the striking workers.

Dimeji Macaulay ERC Coordinator Niger State
 Among other student activists, the protest march was addressed by Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, ERC Coordinator Niger State and Comrade Lateef Adams, ERC Coordinator Lagos State. In their speeches they stressed the fact the anti-poor capitalist agenda of education underfunding of the government, at all levels and irrespective of political parties, is the root cause of the strike and other crises in education sector. The imposition of outrageous fees on LASU by the ACN government is cited as an example of how all pro-establishment political parties are in agreement on attack on public education. They argued that the demands of the striking workers and protesting students must include agitation for adequate funding of education and democratic running of the sector with involvement of elected representatives of education workers and students.  

Lateef Adams, ERC Coordinator Lagos
 They also reiterated the call of ERC on the striking workers not to limit the strike to a stay-at-home action. They must organise mass activities like rallies, circulation of leaflets, symposia, etc to sustain the mass support for the strike and their demands. Indeed, without such activities the fact students have spent over 50 days at home may, out of frustration, pit some parents and students against the striking workers.  While commending SSANIP which has held a protest march, they urged them not to make it one-off event. ASUP must not only emulate SSANIP but both also hold joint mass activities with the union and students. 

      

Thursday 20 June 2013

Police Brutality and Killing of Protesting Students in Nigeria


Call for Condemnation, Solidarity and Protests

Statement of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC)

So far this year, nearly 10 students have been shot dead by the police. Most of the shooting have occurred during students protest. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has publicly condemned this killing including the latest which occurred at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) on Wednesday June 12 2013. We are calling on the student movement, trade union movement, socialist organisations and civil society in Nigeria and internationally to speak out against the growing brutal repression of students.

Police in Nigeria still use heavy-handed methods including shooting of teargas and live bullets to disperse protests and demonstrations. Civil crowd-control methods are completely absent in the handbook of the Nigerian police. Despite over a decade of civil rule, policing in Nigeria still wears the brutal and bloody face it wore under military despotism. According to a colonial-era law which, though a court has invalidated, is still being brutally enforced by the police, protesters are to obtain permission from the police before organising a protest. As everyone probably knows, this is not just a harmless law but one carefully planned to make protesting completely impossible.

It should be stressed however that students are not the only victims of police brutality and extra-judicial killing. Many youths especially in poor communities also face on a daily basis police harassment which sometimes results in unlawful detention and the death of the victims.

The killings of students by the police are occurring against the background of decaying public education and the carrying out of more and more cuts in the education budget. The first casualties of police brutality this year were four students of Nasarawa State University. They were gunned down during a student protest on February 25 2013 against poor water and light supply. Despite promises of investigation by government, nothing positive has been heard since then.

The latest killing occurred on June 12 2013 when anti-riot police invaded the University of Uyo and shot at students of the University protesting against extortionate charges and inadequate lecture theatres. In the process, Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level student of Zoology department of the University died after being shot in the stomach. 45 students were arrested and are being detained. Tragically, five officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) hurrying to the University the next day to mediate also died in a road accident.

In between February and June, there have been many cases of extra-judicial killings of students by the police sometimes in circumstances different from protest. For instance on February 28 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead by police. He had gone to his hometown Ilupeju to collect his tuition and on his way back, the bus conveying him ran into armed robbers at Oye Ekiti. The driver veered off the road while all occupants disembarked and fled into the bush. Several minutes after the armed robbers had left, the police came, combed the bush and found Seyi Fasere hiding like all others. However, the N100,000 he had collected from his parents for his school fees was found on him and this as far as the Police were concerned was enough evidence that he was an armed robber. He was taken to the police station and reportedly shot dead by a policeman notoriously known as"Akobi Esu" (Devil's Firstborn)!

On 27 May 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND 1 student in the Department of Accounting of the Kwara State Polytechnic, was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. It was reported that the armed police escort stopped the taxi and attempted to shoot its tyre because it was getting too close to the bullion van. Unfortunately, instead of the bullet hitting the tyre, it hit Dayo in the vehicle and damaged one of his legs. Likewise on the same 27 May 2013, Ibrahim Momodu, a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was reportedly shot dead by CSP Carol Afegbai, the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida division.

There are also other instances of police violent repression of students’ protests which though did not result in any casualty yet caused serious injury to students as a result of battery, inhalation of harmful teargas fumes, arrest and detention in the cell often without charge. On May 20, 2013, several students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) were brutalized by the police who came to disperse a protest against decision of the University management to prevent students who had not paid the recently hiked tuition from writing examinations. 10 of them were arrested and locked up in the cell.

The best response to this repression is for students to step up the struggle against anti-poor education policies by calling for national days of action involving coordinated lecture boycotts and demonstrations nationwide.

Whilst four Nasarawa State University students were killed by police in February, the NANS leadership threatened fire and brimstone in the media but calmed down afterwards without taking sufficient political actions. Then the ERC raised the call for solidarity protest on all campuses against the killing as the best response and we indeed organised two such actions at the polytechnic Bida and to media houses in Lagos. But the NANS refused to take up this call even when the killings continued on other campuses.

The police killing and repression are meant to undercut the mood for a fight back present on campuses. All the problems of education (fee hike, underfunding, poor facilities, lack of access etc) are still present and in many cases multiplying. The PDP federal government and the state governments including those governed by opposition parties are jointly taking education out of the reach of the poor with astronomical fee hike. Unfortunately challenge to these ruinous education policies are still fragmented and localised on campuses because NANS is not playing its role. This is why socialists and activists in the ERC attach so much importance to the call for a coordinated campaign starting with a one-day action of students nationwide to protest police repression and all anti-poor education policies. Such a campaign must also raise the perspective for an end to capitalism and for a socialist alternative.

We demand release of all students arrested, meeting of all students demands for reversal of fee hikes, improvement in learning and living conditions and for reversal of all anti-poor education policies, an independent probe panel consisting of elected representatives of students unions, education workers unions and  communities to probe the killings, adequate punishment for police officers responsible for the killing of students and also a holistic reform in the Nigerian Police Force that will include democratic control of the police by communities and the labour movement and improved pay and trade union rights for police men and women

The ERC appeals to the trade unions, student bodies, civil society and socialist organisations in Nigeria and internationally to publicly protest the brutal police repression and killings of students by writing protest letters to the authorities in Nigeria. Protest letters can also be sent through Nigerian embassies and you can also send text messages or call the authorities in Nigeria and/or Nigeria embassy to register your displeasure at the brutal repression.

Send protest letters to the following addresses of the National Assembly: repscontact@nass.gov.ng,repinfo@nassnig.org,clerknass@nassng.org,clerksenate@nassng.org,clerkreps@nassng.org or that of the Nigerian police: E-mails: policemonitor@npf.gov.ng, doublefrank2000@yahoo.com. 

You can also send short text messages to the following police phone numbers to protest the killings: NPF: 07066228200, IG MD Abukakar: 08059666666, Police DFPRO CSP Frank Mba: 08038375844. Please copy all protest letters to nanssecretariat2013@gmail.com,   edurightsforall@yahoo.co.uk.

You can also organise solidarity actions like protest and demonstrations too within Nigeria and if outside the country, at Nigerian embassies. Education workers unions like the ASUU, SSANU, NASU and the teachers union (NUT) as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) particularly have a duty to speak out strongly against police repression and also to organise solidarity actions to support students. Such solidarity from within and outside Nigeria will go a long way in encouraging students not to relent in the struggle against capitalist neo-liberal attacks on public education even in the face of repression.

Hassan Taiwo Soweto
National Coordinator
Education Rights Campaign (ERC)
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PROTEST LETTER AGAINST POLICE REPRESSION OF STUDENTS

I/we write to condemn the police repression of students in universities and tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The recurrent news of killings of students has become worrisome. We are outraged.

This year alone, nearly 10 students have been either killed in one institution after the other in extra-judicial circumstances. There are also cases of assault on students, illegal arrest and detention, use of teargas and live bullets against students protesters by police under the pretext of maintaining law and order. All of these deaths have occurred either as a result of police shooting at protesting students or through other forms of extra-judicial killings.

For instance on 25 February 2013, four students of Nassarawa State University were killed while protesting against water scarcity and power outage. About 17 students were arrested while the University was shut. Two days after on February 28 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead in extrajudicial circumstances reportedly by a police man notoriously known as "Akobi Esu" (Devil's Firstborn).

Similarly on 27 May 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND 1 student in the Department of Accounting of the Kwara State Polytechnic, was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. Likewise on the same 27 May 2013, Ibrahim Momodu, a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was reportedly shot dead by CSP Carol Afegbai, the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida division.

The latest police killing occurred on Wednesday June 12 2013 with the shooting to death of Kingsley Udotte, a 200 level student of Zoology department of the University of Uyo. 45 of the students were arrested and are being detained.

The killings represent another low in Nigeria's dismal record of clampdown on democratic rights. We hold the government and the police authorities responsible for these killings. Not in one of the aforementioned killings has justice been done or any positive results heard from series of investigations promised by the government.

The cause of most of these mindless death of students is government anti-poor education policies which it wants to ram down the throats of students. We stand with Nigerian students and shall give support to their struggle until justice is done in this matter. We condemn the police repression and shall support students efforts to fight for the following demands:

(1) Halt to police repression of students. Withdraw the police and men of the secret services from campuses.
(2) Release all arrested students including 45 UNIUYO students being detained
(3) Setting up of an independent and democratic probe panel composed by elected representatives of students unions, staff unions and the university community to investigate the killings.
(4)  Adequate punishment for all police officers responsible for the killings.
(5)Adequate compensation for the families of the students killed by police.
(6) Meeting of all demands of students for reversal of fee hikes, improvement in learning environment and hostel conditions and for provision of modern teaching facilities in all schools and increase in budgetary allocation to at least 26%
(7) Provision of free and functional education at all levels by investing a large chunk of Nigeria's vast oil revenues in public education instead of allowing politicians to loot these monies.
(8) Holistic reform in the Nigerian Police Force that will include democratic control of the police by communities and labour movement and improved pay and trade union rights for police men and women





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Send to:

The Speaker,
House of Representatives
The National Assembly Complex
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
3 Arms Zones
P.M.B 141 Abuja FCT
E-mail: Nigeria.clerkreps@nassng.org, repscontact@nass.gov.ng


The Senate President,
The National Assembly Complex
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
3 Arms Zones
P.M.B 141 Abuja FCT
E-mail:  repinfo@nassnig.org, clerknass@ng.org, clerksenate@nassng.org


Cc: policemonitor@npf.gov.ng
 doublefrank2000@yahoo.com
 nanssecretariat2013@gmail.com
edurightsforall@yahoo.co.uk

Monday 17 June 2013

UNIUYO CRISIS: NO TO KILLING OF PROTESTING STUDENTS


 * Release All Arrested Students
* Meet All Students Demands and Reopen the University Now
* For an Independent Probe Panel including Elected Representatives of Students and Staff Unions. 

Press Statement

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) demands the immediate reopening of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) and the meeting of all demands of students. Engineering students of the University of Uyo embarked on protest on Wednesday June 12 2013 against the introduction of extortionate fees, inadequate classrooms for lectures and a 100% hike in the fare of campus shuttle from N100 to N200. 

The ERC condemn the brutal police attack on protesting UNIUYO students and the killing of Kingsley, a 200 level Kingsley student of the University. We place the responsibility for the killing on the shoulders of the UNIUYO management whose criminal, extortionate and anti-poor policies are the cause of the crisis. 

Actually the UNIUYO management would not only have to take responsibility for the killing of Geofrey, they would also have to take responsibility for the death of four NANS (National Association of Nigerian Students) officials including the NANS Senate President Donald Onukaogu who died in a fatal auto accident while hurrying to the University to intervene in the crisis. 

According to the Police, 45 students were arrested and are being detained. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested students. We also demand adequate compensation to the family of Kingsley killed by the police

We also call for the constitution of a democratic and independent probe panel including the elected representatives of students and staff unions to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the June 12 student protest, establish the culpability of the police in the killing of at least one protester, Kingsley, a 200 level Geology student, assess the alleged damage done to University property and also establish the roles played by the Vice Chancellor and other members of the University management. 

The protest which started peacefully however turned violent after armed police shot live bullets and in the process killed at least one protester, Kingsley, a 200 level Geology student. In the process, some University properties were reportedly vandalised by some enraged crowd of students. While we in the ERC do not support violence as a means of struggle, in this particular case the violence that occurred was clearly provoked by the police who instead of treating students like human being shot at them like some wild beast. Moreover, this is not the first time the police have opened fire with live ammunition on unarmed protesting students. This year alone, nearly 10 students have been killed in similar circumstances. For instance on the 25th of February 2013, four students of Nasarawa State University were shot dead by police while protesting against power outage and inadequate water supply. 

We call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), education workers' unions and civil society organisations not to be silent but to publicly condemn the police brutalisation and killing of students. It is worrisome that while the leadership of the NLC and TUC finds time to issue public statements on such irrelevant issues as Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) crisis, it does not remember to publicly stand for the right of students - the future workers of tomorrow! 

We call on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to call and mobilise for a one-day national action involving lecture boycotts and mass demonstrations to protest against the increasing police brutality against students, to demand adequate punishment for police officers responsible for the killing of students and also to call for a holistic reform in the Nigerian Police Force that will include democratic control of the police by communities and the labour movement and improved pay and trade union rights for police men and women. Such a day of action will also provide the opportunity to boldly reject governments’ anti-poor capitalist education policies of fee hike and commercialisation which the generality of students across campuses nationwide are facing presently.

Hassan Taiwo Soweto
National Coordinator