Candlelight for NANS
Five
Students of the Obafemi Awolowo
University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State,
have held a candlelight procession for
officials of the National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS), who died in an
accident in a village in Abia State.
OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (400-Level
Language Arts) reports.
It was an emotion-laden scene last
Wednesday when students of the
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in
Ile-Ife, Osun State gathered to mourn
five officials of the National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS), who died in an
auto crash on their way to Uyo, Akwa
Ibom State capital, to mediate the crisis
at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO).
Donald Onukaogu, a student of the
Federal University of Technology, Owerri
(FUTO) and Senate President of NANS, on
June 14, died alongside Abdulazeez Kabir
Oladimeji, University of Ibadan (UI); Jerry
Sorkaa, Benue State University (BSU);
Japhet Duru, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede
(NEKEDE POLY) and Asa Ejiate, Delta State
University (DELSU).
Joined by NANS officials from other
campuses, the students held a candlelight
procession for their fallen leaders. The
procession started at the OAU gate with a
minute silence. Afterwards, the mourners
moved round the campus, singing dirges.
Student-leaders and NANS officials from
OAU led the tributes’ session, which
made the procession emotional.
NANS President Yinka Gbadebo of OAU
was absent, but he was represented by
the Secretary General of the association,
Daniel Momodu, 300-Level Political
Science OAU.
In his tribute, ‘Daniel said: “Their death is
our collective loss and it is on this note
that we call on all Nigerian students and
our colleagues at the University of Uyo to
always remember these martyrs, who lost
their lives in efforts to protect the
interest of the students.”
The mourners urged the Federal
Government to compensate the families
of the late students’ leaders, because
“their death is irreparable”. The deceased
were described as heroes, who fought for
the oppressed.
The National Co-ordinator of Education
Rights Campaign (ERC), Taiwo Hassan, said
the students’ death should be seen as a
nudge for NANS to unite and convene a
national congress to tackle what they
called police brutality against students.
Present at the event were Samuel
Adegbola, former president of Association
of Campus Journalists (ACJ), his successor,
Aderemi Ojekunle, chairman of OAU
Students’ Union Transition Committee,
Ayo Shedrach, and Steven Olajide,
General Secretary of the committee.
Others were Sheyi Babaeko, Tunde
Badmus, Jamal Oladapo and Oluwatobi
Omisakin, among others.