When Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife former Student Union Government (SUG) President, Akinola Saburi was admitted in the year 2000, he had no feeling that he would not graduate on a record time.

His involvement in campus activism was what held him on campus for additional eight years.All started in 2003 when he was elected as the Secretary General of the students’ union and along the line, he became an acting president of the union when the incumbent president, Akinkunmi Olawoyin, was sick and could not perform his official duties again.

Saburi’s administration was said to be in constant face-off with the school authority on issues bordering on students’ welfare.

The union, according to investigations, always demanded from the authority to put things like accommodation problem, high tuition fee, overcrowded lecture rooms and hostels as well as policies they considered oppressive in the right perspective so as to make their studentship a worthwhile experience.

And at a time when there was no positive response, the students embarked on protests and the management fingered 13 of them as ring leaders including Saburi and consequently expelled them from school.

The students challenged their expulsion at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, and the court ordered their reinstatement pending its judgment.

“But when we got back to school, we were advised to plead with the authority to reinstate us fully and this was granted on the condition that we must withdraw the case from the court,” Saburi, from Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun State, recalled. And after the pardon, according to him, some of them bowed out of unionism but Saburi and a few others did not.

Read full story here http://acadaloaded./2014/08/02/former-oau-sug-president-graduates-after-13years/

oluwadanie1: When Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife former Student Union Government (SUG) President, Akinola Saburi was admitted in the year 2000, he had no feeling that he would not graduate on a record time.

His involvement in campus activism was what held him on campus for additional eight years.All started in 2003 when he was elected as the Secretary General of the students’ union and along the line, he became an acting president of the union when the incumbent president, Akinkunmi Olawoyin, was sick and could not perform his official duties again.

Saburi’s administration was said to be in constant face-off with the school authority on issues bordering on students’ welfare.

The union, according to investigations, always demanded from the authority to put things like accommodation problem, high tuition fee, overcrowded lecture rooms and hostels as well as policies they considered oppressive in the right perspective so as to make their studentship a worthwhile experience.

And at a time when there was no positive response, the students embarked on protests and the management fingered 13 of them as ring leaders including Saburi and consequently expelled them from school.

The students challenged their expulsion at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, and the court ordered their reinstatement pending its judgment.

“But when we got back to school, we were advised to plead with the authority to reinstate us fully and this was granted on the condition that we must withdraw the case from the court,” Saburi, from Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun State, recalled. And after the pardon, according to him, some of them bowed out of unionism but Saburi and a few others did not.

Read full story here http://acadaloaded./2014/08/02/former-oau-sug-president-graduates-after-13years/

UNIONISM IS FIGHT OF THE FITTEST .......I SALUTE HIS COURAGE

Saburi ... I salute your courage ooo. Only that most of the people you fought for graduated 2005. Well done.

I hope DR 3A's self don graduate. As at 2005, he was already a Methuselah in the system.

Its not easy to fight for Human Rights ooo. takes a lot of sacrifice .

I still remember your campaign song as you toured the various halls

of residence back then and I will sing it now to honour you:

Saburi Saburi , Ayi Ayi ooo.

Saburi Saburi , Ayi Ayi ooo.

Aluta Continua ,Victoria Ascerta.

This is the voice of Edgar Davids !!!

Saburi oko Faboro!

Only a man of courage can look into the eyes of the then EFCC chairman to tell him his 'anti graft war was bias' in the presence of his fearful security men.

It takes a man of charisma to drag the ever scholarly great Ife into the struggle of that season, not only the school anthem can do that. (....for learning and culture; sports and struggle......)

I can't forget scientific maximum shi-shi SMS, some called it jungle justice but beneficiaries preferred it to total expulsion.


Omo, you've paid the price ooo oo o!
Duff my hat for una

Feel like crying

Na wao

Awwwwwww....so happy for him right now tears of joy flowing thru my eyes....Great ife

Why naaa ?

Jesus Christ! Unbelievable

.after 13years unbelievable!!! all the people he fought for have all graduated and possibly married with children. quite shameful

Dont worry u will soon be elected NLC/TUC national president to deal with those that dealt with u

Its a cruel world

13years...

Wetin concern me.......abeg make them open our great ife,make we resume,i don miss those sweet toto and my books jare

After 13 years ? ? ? For a university your father didn't build ? ? ?

Na wao


( Modified )

Let no one compare this guy to mandela

Mandela was BORN in sa, LIVED in sa ALL HIS LIFE, MARRIED in sa, GAVE BIRTH to all his kids in sa, became a GRAND FATHER in sa, he WON NUMEROUS ACCOLADES, AWARDS and HONOURS in sa that even presidents, kings, queens and ministers came all the way to sa to visit him and his family. He eventually DIED in sa.

This guy is no where near Madiba's league

At least not yet anyway

His position is uncommon in the fight against oppression. I also appreciate his heroism when those he fought for never give a damn. Nigerians and myself mentality

dats courageous!

Fighting for the so called masses to your own detriment makes no sense.

Those you were fighting for have graduated and a good number of then have moved into the future of their dreams.

Sorry!

Maybe the governing council of the school will name a lecture theatre after him

congrat man. but 13yrs nor be moi-moi oh

Well thank God you graduated but those guys you were fighting for have since graduated, settled down in life and may be bosses in some places. You cannot catch up with your mates again cos 13years is no beans and I don't think you will get a medal for this.

Again wishing you well I if you think the struggle was worth it.

Na medicine *2

Aluta Continua taken too far.

Saburi!!! What a name. You are a man! Though minus 3 years of ASUU strikes.

Glad that fellow student appreciated you a lot, & a whole thread was dedicated to you on the nairaland. Kudos brother!

Only a yoruba boy can spend 13yrs in the uni.

chai!!!! Chai!!! Chai!!!

.

This is what the yorubas' call 'OGUN AYE'

This is serious

13years