By Merie Prosper
(Produke)

TODAY'S STUDENTS' UNIONISM

Upon my admission into the university,my idea of the Students' Union Government was a union which comprises a group of students with similar goals and objectives speaking in one voice not knowing that my definition or decription of Students' unionism has long been reviewed by the Students' "unionists" as a body comprising students who delve mistakenly into school politics to amass wealth for themselves,drive around our campuses in Toyota sienna vans,live in furnished rooms despite the lamentable state of our hostels and wear starched clothes.Students' unionism has been typical of an oxymoron because studentship in recent times has dissociated itself from the essence of unionism.It is quite lamentable and laughable that problems in higher institutions brew when the population of students has increased in tens over the years.
The offices of students' union officials have become too juicy leaving Nigerian students in the hands of leaders who are worse than the occupants of the red and green chambers.Leadership ought to be purpose driven and not that which is backed by finacial appetite.As scholarly as Albert Eisten when offered the position of Isreal presidency declined the offer saying he lacks the natural aptitude to handle official matters.There is no gainsaying Eistien made his mark on earth.The case of students leaders is quite different as they are sponsored by godfathers in schools' governing council or "overgraduate students"."Overgraduate students" are those alumni ou see on our campuses who come to our campuses to invest in students' union elections,all these has given rise to mediocrity in students' union government.
These tom,dick and harry students' leaders emmerge victorious and they go into government to fulfil their purpose which is not to speak as a voice for the students but do the dictates of sponsors and protrude their pockets.The interference of school authorities in students' politics is also a plague to students' activism,the level of tribalism that plays on our campuses is colossal where certain positions are reserved for students of host communities.Often times on our campuses there are clashes between school's annionted candidates and the oba,eze,alafin,emir,sultan,ovie,olu as the case may be.The palaces have become determiners of the lives of young students who are christened "leaders of "tomorrow"
The deplorable state of our hostels today is not due to the bad government we have in Nigeria today but due to the dumb leaders we have on our campuses who have refused to speak for the students who have no choice but to find comfortability in bed bug-ravaged mattresses,bushes housing bed bugs,over crowded hostel rooms,bad toilets and open air bathrooms(student have their bath outside).
Students' activism can no longer be percieved in our schools,maybe it died with Abacha.Students' associations in the departmental and faculty levels are the most handicapped on our campuses,their objectives are simple -host faculty and departmental balls,produce t-shirts and collect dues from which a good proportion of the dues collected leave students' coffers to faculty deans and HODs.These faculty leaders ought to channel the grieviances of their students to the SUG when they can no longer contain the pressure.Contrary to the objective of a sane students' union,leaders protect their GPs to the detriment of students they lead.
Victimization of students has become commonplace on our campuses where students are victimized for not dancing to the tune of greedy lecturers and sexually voracious lecturers who have turned their offices in hotel rooms,when these innocent young women die of abortion their families become painned and when their wombs are destroyed the become prey to their future husbands.The students' leaders have not been able to tame these unsrupulous elements in the name of academics.
The state of overcrowdiness of our lecture theatres is so much in a sorry state,where a lecture hall for five hundred students is made to forcfully occupy over three thousand students.
Arise!students must not be dumb or feign ignorance of this plague,thousands of students united cannot be defeated by a few pot bellied administrators who know of our plights but have not been informed with cries and demonstrations of angry students who have not enjoyed the true benefits of studentship.The school is a micro reflection of the larger society and if we fail as intellectuals the society will die.We must not wait on our "leader" but on the miraculous spirit of "aluta"
Let the unschooled man not say "thank God I didn't go to school.We must talk.
Aluta Continua!!!
Victoria Ascerta!!!

No longer relevant, they've all become instruments in the hands of politicians.

Dry

Student unionism has gone to the dogs, with so much Interference from school authorities to shoddy elections coupled with tribalism and vested political interest. What we have today is student association not a union

Today's student unionism is about MONEY and selfish interest.

super story, I don't see how this episode will change any thing in the modus operandi of student unionism

Pls, picture of the writer.. Seun of Nairaland pls, kindly give us d picture or ...

You have really tried to air ur opinion buh bliv me,,, its not gonna anytin ..even our youths are more desperate to be in power than their bosses....


Always thank God for your life....

Money Only Money

Student Unionism in most schools have been hijacked by cultists

Student Unionism in most schools have been hijacked by cutists

They're just there because of money. I know of an SUG president that has two cars. So, its all abt the money. He done turn politics.

At least dem dey chop money for there. Source of employment..

lol

Time of post- 4:05pm. First to comment- 4:33pm. We are fooling ourselves. Nice article, OP

It has even turn to do or die affairs in some institutions... Any seat that involves election in naija is crazy mehn

It has lost its essence!!! That was how Ovie used students' affairs money to buy Benz E Class! Rubbish boy!

Hmmmm.

The only benefit of todays student Unionism is Thuggery !!

in oau,the SU isn't involved in the points you raised,

money drives their passion they impose dues that can build 6 dualized roads in an lga=fact!!!


when what they need cash for is less than the amount in hand, then they dip inside and become pot bellied students soon afterwards.



besides polithiefcians use them. only a considerable few sugs are still intact.



be trusting lekan your second sch friend who is a sug exco when authorities Wana dialogue with them, lekan will be settled well and be looking you.

Lilimax:
Student Unionism in most schools have been hijacked by cultists

Like in every other area of the Nigerian society,from community leadership to political leadership and that is why they are of no use in any organization. They are only good at killing,stealing and destroying to amass wealth.

Labaran Maku was a student unionist

They are just noise makers.

Lets us learn history.... The truth is that the ooni of ife is not the foremost king..... He is either a priest ooni'risha or as stated, in one of the ritual ceremonies where nobody was allowed to be seen outside, a foreign woman of no means of tracing her background was captured and was to be used as sacrifices for the gods. She was later spared because she was found to be pregnant beside, it was against ritual requirement. The child from the woman was dedicated to the gods and act as a servant to assist Oduduwa in his day-to-day ritual and voodoo job. The child was named Ooni: meaning "this is Spared One"

This is why alaafin of oyo will not accept ooni of ife as superior because oranmiyan who should have taken over the post of chief priest from his father decided to stay in the old oyo empire which he as already established.

Even the ooni of ife used to pay homage and tax to oranmiyan (alaafin of oyo) until the british cane and changed everything because the King of England assumed a king at Ife, the
cradle of Yoruba, must be superior to all Obas just like the British did in Abeokuta by imposing Alake's superiority over other Obas at Abeokuta. In case of Egbas, Sorunke who led the Egbas from Ibadan to the present Abeokuta was from Oke Ona, where Oba Tejuoso is the King. This is the reason why there is conflict between Alake and Osile till date. .....LET'S LEARN OUR HISTORY