Between the NANS of Today and That of Yesterday; What Really Went Wrong?, by Ibn Solih Ridwanullah 

Students across the world do not only take part in national matters but also key global issues. They play a vital role in the movement for national liberation, among others. Both in Africa and elsewhere. The period between the 1940s and 1950s was particularly, marked by the anti-imperialist movement by students in Africa. The contributions of Nigerian students both at home and abroad towards Nigeria’s independence are worth noting. It was so intense that the imperialists had nothing to do then but to relinquish power to Nigeria. The struggle did not wane even after independence as the aluta spirit continued to gyrate on other key national issues. This wasn’t particular to Nigeria alone. For instance, In Senegal, student revolts earned the University of Dakar the reputation of being a hotbed of radical politics in a period that spanned between the 1970s and 1980s. 

Post-independent Nigeria continues to see the input of Nigerian students on issues of national concern. This struggle however stopped dead on its track in the 90s aftermath Anti-SAP protest. As documented in Max Siollum’s “Soldier of Fortune” notable individuals which include Gani Fawehinmi, the students’ union leader by the name Lukman Saliu Muhammad, and hosts of others were arrested and detained. Several universities were also closed. OAU students were particularly committed to the course of school reopening as they boycotted lectures, pressing for the reopening of other campuses. The government has to key into their demands. However, despite these struggles, SAP was not reversed nor were there any changes in the policies. Rather, the decree 49 of 1989 concerning student union activities was promulgated. This made student union activities illegal unless they met certain conditions such as “national security, public safety, public morality or public health”

This incident caused a serious setback to unionism on Nigerian campuses. It was further deteriorated by school management. The university is not only a knowledge acquisition centre nor is it restricted for research purposes, it’s a testing ground for leadership. The attitudes of today’s students with regard to leadership sprout out from the tyranny of school management. 

An article was once written by one of the university lecturers where he tried to compare the active students of the good old days of the 90s with the crop of students we have today. He drew his line in respect of the proposed protest. But he forgot to mention that the university of those days gave room for dissenting views from students. In other words, the universities of those days did not kill the inquisitive voices of their students. That students were allowed to protest without fear of having them rusticated. 

Today, the relationship between the university management and the students is synonymous with the relationship that exists between a king and his servants. It’s a pure command and obey. An increase in school fees across universities in Nigeria would have sparked all sorts of resentment in those days. What do we see today? Not even the union leader came out to say anything contrary. What will a puppets say, after all, he was put there to materialise the verdict of the school management. What more do we expect when a certain Nigerian university replaces all the elected student union leaders with a caretaker committee? This was less than a semester after the election was conducted. How about when they refuse to conduct an election at all but rather handpicked students to different positions? If the students’ union leaders at the various campuses are not any better, how do we expect the formal national union leader not to promise APC more votes during the last ASUU strike? 

We have read and seen how a student was rusticated for challenging the university senate. How about those students who were summoned because they decried the state of the campus clinic? Haven’t we heard of how students were threatened for publishing the obvious security condition of a certain Nigerian university? The incident of a student who got suspended for showing a picture of a school hostel in a media outlet is still fresh in my memory. Campus Journalism of today has been whitewashed with the fear of suspension or rustication. When last did you hear or see Nigerian students staging protests on their universities’ campuses? 

Few months ago, videos of students on various campuses in Europe protesting against the injustice of Israel against Palestinians surfaced on my newsfeed. This happened because they were given room to air their voices on not only campus or national matters but also global issues. Can this be said of the Nigerian university of today where students can’t even protest on ordinary tuition fee increments? Yet, we expect students who dare not protest against any injustice to hold placards of protest on national issues. The University lecturer who would not allow protests to take place on campuses is jolted that today’s students, unlike in the 90s’ can’t street-fight the government for a better Nigeria. 

Following the NANS pull out of the planned August 1 protest, several other union leaders across campuses have begun to disassociate themselves from the protest. If you expect less, you are to be blamed not NANS. University management puppets will grow to become the government’s bootlickers. What has changed about today’s student unionism and its struggle is the environment that condones injustice and repels against the fight for justice. And as Khalil Gibran rightly said, “He who does not rebel against oppression is doing himself injustice.”

Ibn Solih Ridwanullah writes from Ekiti

You can reach him via (ridwanullahadissa@gmail.com and 08164047976).