DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MOVEMENT
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ON THE INVITATION OF PROF. ELUJOBA BY THE EFCC

*IT IS THE RIGHT OF WORKERS TO RECEIVE SALARY
*WE SUPPORT THE PROBE OF ANY PUBLIC OFFICER, BUT WE DEMAND FOR A TRANSPARENT PROBE
*WE REASSERT OUR DEMAND FOR DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TO INCLUDE THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ALL UNION ON CAMPUS
*WE CONDEMN THE ACT OF ILLEGALLY USING THE STUDENTS' UNION PLATFORM, A COLLECTIVE AND DEMOCRATIC AGITATION PLATFORM OF ALL STUDENTS, BY SOME UNSCRUPULOUS SECT

Many reactions have been trailing the invitation of the acting Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Prof. Elujoba by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), considering the fact that a solidarity protest was staged for the acting VC.The invitation is premised on a perceived misappropriation of fund, of which part of it was allegedly used by the acting VC to pay part of the owed backlog of salaries of workers.

The agitations of workers against the invitation of the acting VC for questioning by the EFCC must have been spurred by the fact that they got part of their owed salaries from the fund, and thus saw the need for solidarity with the acting VC; but this is a colossal mistake for any union to make. We of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) emphatically assert that it is the right of workers to receive salary for their labour and workers should not see payment of their salaries as a benevolent deed of the university management. We believe that workers must, in fact, begin to agitate for better working conditions and not turn to praise-singers of any Vice-Chancellor as this may pose a great danger for the union in coming period in the face of inevitable looming attacks against workers and students.

The Democratic Socialist Movement sternly believes that by the virtue of the undemocratic manner of their appointment, Vice-chancellors, are expected to defend and implement the anti-poor education policies of the government and as such they cannot be expected to be pro-student and pro-worker on the long run. This is not all. The under funding of the education sector has resulted into the myriads of problems facing tertiary institutions. Vice-chancellors and other administrators of tertiary institutions find no panacea to this quagmire than to subject students to horrific living and learning conditions and impose exorbitant fees on students. In a bid to safeguard their jobs, Vice-chancellors and other administrators of tertiary institutions show the alacrity to clampdown, through every possible means, on the agitations of students against those attacks. From the foregoing, it is rational to conclude that a V.C, under this capitalist economic dispensation which places profit above peoples' welfare, cannot be pro-student and pro-workers. It is important to note that those who harbor illusion in the acting VC would only be disappointed; OAU has enough examples of “popular” Vice- chancellors to prove this vivid fact. Rogers Makanjuola, who was first an acting VC before been made the substantial VC after the ruthless administration led by Wale Omole was ousted by students, and Michael Faborode are recent examples of how deceitful VCs could be upon emergence and brutal after such deceit. These two examples during their respective reign as the VC, first familiarized with the students by visiting students constantly, but their closeness with students did not halt them from maliciously attacking workers and students by imposing obnoxious fees on students, proscription of the union, suspension of radical students among other numerous attacks. This is just two out of many. For us in the DSM, harboring illusion in any VC would lead to destructive disappointment.

The Democratic Socialist Movement supports the probe of any public office holder. Considering the gargantuan autocracy that characterizes the appointment of VCs, and most public officers, it would be detrimental not to probe the activities of such individuals. In lieu of the rationality of probing public officers, the Democratic Socialist Movement demands that such probe must be made open and transparent. Our position therefore is that a protest kicking against the probe of the acting Vice Chancellor or any public officer, especially in the prevailing situation where public officers are not answerable to the public, is misplaced and can prove embarrassing later on especially if such a public officer is proved guilty of misappropriation. This however does not mean that we dismiss the allegations of the workers unions and some students that this probe may be a witch-hunt masterminded by agents of the disgraced Tale Omole administration. That this may well be a witch-hunt is given credence by the conduct of the EFCC which ignored repeated calls a year ago for the probe of the ‘Tale Omole administration but has suddenly woken up from slumber. It would be easily recalled that students led a campaign for the probe of the previous administration led by 'Tale Omole, but the EFCC turned deaf ear to the demand of students. Many things could have been inferred from the negligence of the EFCC since the body was mute.

It is also possible that this probe is part of the high wired “do or die” politics for the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor as different elements begin to jostle for the position. Whatever is the case, a respectable workers’ and students union should not be seen acting as praise-singers of any public office holder. Opposing the probe of the Vice Chancellor can cast the unions in the infamous light of those protecting corruption. Rather, the unions should demand a thorough, holistic and comprehensive probe not limited to Elujoba’s administration alone but extended to past administrations and carried out in an open and transparent manner with the involvement of representative of students and staff, opening of the financial books of the University and the democratization of the decision-making organs to allow elected representatives of staff and students unions to henceforth have a say in the running of the university. This kind of approach allows the unions to expose to the public the real agenda of the EFCC while also not acting as praise-singers of the acting Vice Chancellor.


The Democratic Socialist Movement uses this medium to reassert that the only effective panacea to corruption and misappropriation in the education sector is for the decision making organs of the university to be democratized to involve the active participation of the elected representatives of all unions. This would give unions information about the running of the university and allow unions to take positions that represent the interest of their members.

We of the Democratic Socialist Movement strongly condemn the despotic and unscrupulous act of some students that illegally used the name of the Great Ife students Union to offer solidarity with the acting VC. Such act is irrational, illegal and condemnable. We join the generality of students in condemning this embarrassing act, and in defending the traditions of the GreatIfe Students Union. We are duly aware that before decision can be taken in the Union it must be a result of intellectual discussion at the Parliamentary sitting or the general congress, and none of these were done. Students value the radical history of the union and are not ready to turn the union which has always been a platform to agitate for the right of the oppressed class into a platform for singing-praises of any VC.

SIGNED,
Adaramoye Micheal Lenin (Micheal Lenin)
General Secretary

I wonder when corruption will have a death penalty in Nigeria. I have an Uncle whom I've disowned anyway, that should be killed.