PRESS STATEMENT
We
of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), FCT, Abuja chapter write to condemn the
rustication of Student activists at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile
Ife and the University of Lagos (UNILAG). We also condemn the ban of
independent students’ unionism at the University of Abuja.
We
extend solidarity to students in OAU and students activists in UNILAG who are
currently being victimized by university managements and we also call for the
lifting of the ban placed on students union activities at the University of
Abuja.
At
the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Omole Ibukun (the secretary of the campus
ERC branch) was recently penalized for allegedly criticizing the University’s
anti-poor policies on facebook. His eportal page was deactivated rendering him
incapable of registering his courses online. It took widespread criticism of
the Management’s actions and the threat of protest and lecture boycott for the
authorities to agree to open his eportal page early in the week. Also in the
same institution, Olawale Ogunruku has been under victimization for years now
while at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Adeyeye Femi, a student activist and
11 leaders of the University of Lagos Students Union (ULSU) have been
rusticated for their roles in the students’ protest in April against poor
welfare conditions.
We
in Education Rights Campaign, FCT, Abuja Chapter strongly condemn these
despotic violation of human rights being perpetrated by the management of these
institutions. We demand the immediate reinstatement of the rusticated student’s
activists and unconditional withdrawal of the trumped up charges and also we
call on the authorities of the University of Abuja to immediately lift the ban
on the students union.
In
the final analysis, these actions are meant to cow students and scare them from
campaigning for better funding of education and provision of adequate facilities
for learning. We therefore call on the entire human rights community, Academic Staff
Union of University (ASUU), other staff unions on campuses, the Nigeria Union
of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National
Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Nigerian students in general to
intervene and call for an end to these attacks on democratic rights and
baseless accusations routinely formed against students’ activists, for they are
attempts to weaken the strength of the students movement.
Daniel Akande
Coordinator
ERC FCT, ABUJA Chapter
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