Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on
Saturday openly expressed their frustration over recent
unrests in federal universities by jeering President
Goodluck Jonathan, who was a guest at the institution
Friday.
Mr. Jonathan, and some state and federal officials,
including Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, were in the
university to attend the Yoruba Unity Summit, organised by
the Committee for Yoruba Unity, where he was endorsed
for re-election in 2015.
The meeting also had in attendance the Ooni of Ife,
Okunade Sijuade, among other traditional rulers.
But before the meeting ended, placard-wielding students
gathered at the Amphi theatre/Oduduwa Hall area of the
institution where the meeting was holding, chanting
solidarity songs.
The students said they were angry over the recent tuition
increase, rot in the education sector and attack by security
operatives on protesting students of the University of Jos.
The students also halted the president’s convoy for a few
minutes, by barricading the path of his motorcade before
the president boarded a chopper.
The students also booed Mr. Fayose, the Ekiti State
governor.
“Fayose got perhaps the biggest embarrassment of his life
today. He walked confidently to Ife students expecting to be
applauded. I can’t yet forget the look of shock on his face
as shouts of Ole! Ole! (Thief! Thief!) rented the air,” said
Hassan Taiwo, education right activist, who participated in
the protest.
Some of placards brandished by the students read “Don’t
sell education like you sold electricity”, “We condemn Jos
killing of students”, ”We demand reversal of 2014 fee
hike”.
A female student said she and her colleagues joined the
protest because “the president’s coming coincided with a
moment we are facing challenges in terms of learning
facilities in the laboratories and classes.
“In our Geography lab, we don’t have anything except
diagrams and furniture, if Ife is like this, what happens to
other schools?”
However, in a telephone interview, the president of OAU
Students’ Union, Ibikunle Isaac, told PREMIUM TIMES that
Mr. Jonathan was not rejected or embarrassed by his
colleagues but that they only peacefully registered their
grievances over fee raise.
“The leadership of the Union submitted protest letter over
the fee increment to the president and he committed
himself to seeing to the issue, while our students were
gyrating on campus,” he said.
But another student disagreed with the SUG president.
“Of course it was a peaceful display against President
Jonathan and his people, but we really embarrassed and
booed them because of their insensitivity to various
problems Nigeria is facing, as shown by this shameful
endorsement from the so-called Yoruba leaders,” the
student said.
“Don’t mind our Union president. It is understandable.
What he called gyration was actually choruses of insults
and how we booed Jonathan and his people,” he added.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/172073-oau-students-boo-jonathan-fayose.html

Whatever the case may be, it is not right to disrespect your president. After all there is no guarantee in any human ruler be it governor or president. Hossana today crucify him tomorrow is the tell tale of human experience. Youthful exuberance should not be at the driver's seat of our actions