FOR RESTORATION OF STUDENTS'
UNION!
Appeal for protest letters and solidarity
By Kola Ibrahim
Consequent
upon the mass pressure from students to restore the union and a planned April
12 Congress of students to actualize this, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo
University (OAU), Ile-Ife, immediately set in motion the process of victimizing
activists who have been at the forefront of the campaign for the restoration of
the students' union. A day after a April 3 symposium organised by the Students'
Union Transition Committee (SUTC) where the April 12 congress was agreed to, 15
activists and supporters of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) (4 of whom are
members in the Democratic Socialist Movement - DSM) were served letters
inviting them to a vindictive disciplinary panel. The 4 DSM members are:
Adebale Kehinde (Secretary DSM OAU), Olubanji Oluwole (Secretary ERC OAU),
Eniayekan Odunayo and Ibirogba Samuel. (see: OAU ADMINISTRATION MOVE TO VICTIMISESTUDENT ACTIVISTS)
No
doubt, the invitation to the panel was a desperate attempt of the university
administration to intimidate the activists and ensure that the planned congress
was not held and ultimately the students' union is not restored. The management
correctly fear what could happen if the congress was held. Such is the anger of
the mass of students at the continued ban of the union as well as the
deteriorating welfare conditions that such a congress could make the
restoration of the Students Union irreversible. It was to avert this fate that
the management hurriedly dragged the leading activists of the campaign to
restore the union before a disciplinary panel.
Contained
in the letters were frivolous allegations which read thus:
"(1)
that on the 1st December, 2012 against the express directive of the University,
did organise or took part in a symposium organized by the Education Rights
Campaign (ERC), an unregistered association on campus
(2)
that on 5th December, 2012 at about 0830hours, with some other persons,
attempted to chase other students away from lecture halls thereby disrupting
academic and social activities on the university campus
(3)
in the early hours of the morning of December 2, 2012 broke into floor
"O" of the University hall on the campus , destroyed window panes and
physically assaulted Mr. A.V. Adeyemo, one of the security men on duty at the time"
A
4th allegation similar to the 1st was also slammed at some:
"(4)
that against the express directive of the University not to partake in any
activity organised by the Democratic Socialist Movement, not being a registered
association in the University, did participate in a meeting held by the said
association on the 26th and 27th March, 2013 respectively, at the Faculty of
Administration Basement"
These
allegations are frivolous and flagrant infringement of their democratic rights
which includes the right to freedom of association as provided for in the 1999
constitution. The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), affiliated to the
Committee for a Workers International (CWI), is a socialist organisation of
workers, poor masses, youth and the oppressed strata of the society that fights
for collective and democratic ownership and control of the economy by the
working masses in order to ensure the judicious use for the provision of basic
needs such as free education, free health care, decent jobs, etc. The DSM has
been in existence for nearly 30 years and has been at the forefront of the
struggle of the working people against military rule and since 1999 has been
playing crucial role in the general strikes and mass struggles against
capitalist anti-poor policies in the workplaces, communities and campuses. The
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) was formed by the DSM in 2004 to deepen the
struggle against fee hikes and other capitalist anti-poor education policies.
Our
socialist ideas including the leading roles we play in campaigns against
anti-poor education policies of the government and school management naturally
attracts change-seeking elements including workers, students and youths to us
which as far as we are concerned is within the remit of their democratic
rights. We find it unacceptable that a university, an academic environment that
should serve as a fertile ground for democratic debates of ideas with a view to
changing society, is being run like a maximum security prison where the most
basic democratic rights are crushed.
That
the administration raises eyebrows at gatherings of students under the ERC and
DSM shows that it is undemocratic and despotic and its clear hatred for
dissenting views. The DSM and ERC have over time argued for the democratization
of the decision making structures of the University to include elected
representatives of staff, students and other stakeholders within the university
community.
Fifteen
(15) young people exercising their rights to freedom of association and
expression are being hounded before a disciplinary panel with the aim of
expelling them from school. We demand immediate withdrawal of the allegations
against the 15 student activists and immediate restoration of the students'
union with immediate conduct of elections
We
also call on all sections of the CWI, trade unions, staff unions, students
unions and activists nationally and internationally to join in condemning this
vicious attack on democratic rights.
Protest
letters can be forwarded to the following:
Email addresses:
and
copies sent to dsmcentre@yahoo.com and edurightsforall@yahoo.co.uk
You
can also call or send text messages to the following numbers:
Vice-Chancellor – 08037211502; Registrar – 08034970823; Vice
Dean, Students' Affairs - 08066066540; Secretary, Disciplinary Panel -
08139348466
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