FOR INDEPENDENT STUDENTS’ UNIONISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ABUJA AND THE NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI
PRESS STATEMENT
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) Abuja Chapter, totally condemns the continued suspension of students’
union activities at the University of Abuja and the Nassarawa State University,
Keffi by managements of both institutions. We condemn the practice of imposing
on students so-called transition committees that are composed of handpicked
students. We call on the managements of both institutions to respect the
democratic and fundamental human rights of their students by allowing them to
freely operate independent students unionism.
In particular, the ERC rejects the false claims by the both managements
that this undemocratic action is meant to maintain peace and put an end to different problems erupting as a result of
religious and tribal sentiments on both campuses.
We support in totality, fully independent and democratically-run
Students’ Unions that can, at all time, stand for and defend public education
in all tertiary institutions in the country.
We believe that only an independent and elected students union
leadership can fight for the interest of its members, just as staff unions like
the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other education workers unions
always do, especially on issues relating to adequate funding of education,
provision of infrastructural facilities, reduction and reversal of school fees
and every other obnoxious attacks on the right to public education. The ERC
believe that the series of unbearable charges and attacks that are being
imposed on students across the country without much challenge are possible because
of the weakness of the students movement occasioned by the constant attacks on
the right to independent unionism through proscription as well as victimization
of activists.
It is no doubt that the absence of independent, democratic, virile
and mass-based students unions has contributed to the numerous problems
students confront on many campuses. For instance, a University like the
University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) lack adequate facilities for teaching and
learning. So bad is the situation that most 400 Level students of chemical
department do not have any practical experience nor have they partaken in any
real laboratory experiment. At the moment, the faculty of law of the university
of Abuja cannot admit students into 100 and 200 Levels this year because of the
problems with accreditation. These are all sort of problems affecting Uniabuja
students and for which they need a Students’ Union to protect their interests.
Members of the transition council, were hand-picked by the university
management. Therefore they are mainly a council of passive elements who cannot
challenge authorities anti-student policies.
In its own case, the Nassarawa State University, Keffi, is not
much better than a technical or secondary school when you consider its
inadequate and antiquated infrastructures. The management of Nassarawa State
University, is fond of cajoling students that the students union activities was
proscribed due to religious clashes that occurred in the past leading to the
death of a student. According to the management, restoring the Students union
risk bringing back religious and tribal clashes as students jostle for
leadership of the union.
While the ERC condemn religious and tribal clashes, we do not
think this is a convincing reason to proscribe union activities. Religious and
tribal clashes that now frequently occur as students jostle for union
leadership position is a reflection of the ideological decay of the students
movement as well as the interference of the State. Once radical ideas stopped
reigning in the student movement, it was not long before base ethnic and
religious sentiments took over. In most cases, some of these clashes over
students union elections occur when managements and politicians interfere by
sponsoring one aspirant against the other. We think the Nassarawa state University
authorities are merely being clever by half. If truly the incidence of
religious and tribal crises can only be resolved through putting an end to
unionism then perhaps Nigeria as an entity should immediately cease to exist
since it has witnessed ethnic and religious crises of monstrous proportion for
much of its existence.
The excuse of tribal and religious clashes are mere smokescreens.
The reality is that the Nassarawa state University management understands the
power of unionism than the students themselves. As a result, the management is
mindful of organized students union that can lead students against the
management to demand better welfare condition on campus. This is the real
reason why the management does not want students union activities restored. And
it is on this premise that the council of the faculty Presidents, being the
creation of the university management, has never done anything tangible to
address the problems students face on campus.
ERC
Demands:
* Immediate reinstatement of an independent, democratic and
mass-based Students’ Union at the University of Abuja and the Nassarawa State
University, Keffi that can promote and defend students interest.
* Democratic running of the institutions through the participation
of elected representatives of the both academic and non-academic unions of
staff and students in decision making structures
Finally, we call on students that are thirsty of genuine change in
the society as well as quality education in the country to join the ERC. The
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) is an organization committed to a struggle for
provision of free and democratically managed public education at all levels and
respect for democratic rights in schools.
Akande
Daniel Babatunde
Coordinator
ERC FCT Abuja Chapter
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