oou SUG President
Gov.Amosun
It has become a war of words and wits at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, as the Students Union Government tackles the state government over the proscription of its activities.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun
had recently proscribed student unionism in the institution after
protests over tuition fees but the students have labelled the move an
infringement of their rights to association.
In a
press release jointly signed by the union’s President and Public
Relations Officer, Bamgbopa Olawale, the union said allegations leveled
against them by the Amosun-led government are lies and diversionary
tactics to discredit the union.
"The state
Government going on air to say we have refused to attend proper meetings
because we have ulterior motives and alleged being sponsored by
opposition is a grand lie from the pit of hell," the statement read..
"The State Government’s claim that we are being sponsored by the opposition is a mother of all lies and is diversionary tactic."
Olawale challenged the government to publish the names of the alleged sponsors.
"...We state it boldly that we are neither sponsored by any political party nor political actors.
"Our
agitations are premised on truth and conviction in what is right, since
2011 that we have this exorbitant fee, nothing less than 600 students
have dropped out from the school.
"More than 200 have applied for Leave for absence to leave school that session and come back when they have the money."
The
union leader also criticised Amosun's "misuse of state resources" on
televised "propaganda, lies" and challenged him to come for a public
debate.
They called for an immediate reopening of the institution.
"We
therefore unequivocally, demand the immediate re-opening of our
institution as the school was set up by an act of the Horse, and so,
shutting it down alone by the executive arm is unconstitutional and
barbaric.
"The reopening of the school must also come with meeting our demands."
"We are convinced that we shall win this struggle, regardless of intimidation, threats, and propaganda against us."
THE FULL LETTER
OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY, AGO-IWOYE, OGUN STATE
28\08\2014
PRESS RELEASE
We
express gratitude to God for His guidance and direction so far, in
spite of all the odds against us since the beginning of this struggle.
We have been recipients of harsh policies and decisions, yet, our
resolve and determination to see this through a logical end, remains
unbending, unyielding, and even more solid than it was when we set out
to fight this noble course.
INSINCERITY OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT
Since
the beginning of this struggle, the Ogun State Government has shown
itself to be insincere with the way it has used propaganda, told lies
and peddled untruth against the innocent and lawful OOU students. Since
we started, we have been very clear in what we want, but that has not
stopped us from attending invitations and meetings called by the State
Government. The only meetings the president of the Union, refused to
attend was meetings which venue is the Legislative House of the Deputy
Speaker, Hon. Tola Banjo, and which in most times are fixed at night.
The state Government going on air to say we have refused to attend
proper meetings because we have ulterior motives and alleged being
sponsored by opposition is a grand lie from the pit of hell.
The
second day of our peaceful protest to Abeokuta, 15th of August, the
Governor, Senator Amosun requested for 7 days to resolve our issue, that
he is not aware of certain things. Considering him coming out publicly
to say that, we suspended the peaceful protest, and returned to our
various campuses. Five days into the 7 days, there was no call or
invitation from the State Government. Our students were obviously angry
and prepared to storm Abeokuta peacefully as we told the Governor on the
last day of the protest. On the 6th day, however, we were invited to a
meeting with the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Taiwo
Adeoluwa, who chaired the meeting, with Commissioner for Education,
Science and Technology, Barrister Segun Odubela, and the Special Adviser
to the Governor on Student Affairs, Mr Ikechukwu Clement, present from
the State Government side. After making our demands clear to them, we
were told they were taking the demands to the Governor, since that
afternoon around 1:25pm, we never saw them again, around 8:35pm that we
decided to leave after calling the commissioner of Education and he
wasn’t picking up his calls or replying text messages and SA’s phone was
switched off also.
The next morning they invited
us to another meeting. Following their antics the previous day, we were
reluctant to attend the meeting, but for the sake of history, we
attended. Around 9: am we entered Abeokuta on that Friday, they never
attended to us, anytime we ask the Commissioner of Education, he would
reply that they were coming. After waiting till around 7:45pm, we called
the commissioner of Education and he told us that he would advise us to
return to our campus, thinking that the government in their usual
manner like the way they rushed to the media to announce fee reduction
without mutual agreement in any meeting, all to score political point.
We thought, they will announce the implementation of it commencing in
our own current session, 2013\ 2014 and other demands on the media.
However, to our chagrin on Saturday, the Government announced the
shutting down of our institution with shallow, baseless and unreasonable
premise.
ON ACCUSATIONS OF BEING POLITICALLY SPONSORED
The
State Government’s claim that we are being sponsored by the opposition
is a mother of all lies and is diversionary tactic. We are not surprised
because history has shown that irresponsible and irresponsive
Government as we do have them in this part of the world, always look for
hiding places when confronted with genuine agitations. During the
‘Alli- Must- go’ struggle of the 70s, the protesters were accused of
being politically motivated by the Federal Government. During OAU
students’ struggle, the students were accused of being sponsored by the
APC. During LASU students’ struggle, the State Government of Lagos said
they were sponsored by ‘fifth columnist’ and the Minister for State on
Defense, Amb. Obanikoro. We don’t expect our own case to be different.
But for record’s sake, we state it boldly that we are neither sponsored
by any political party nor political actors. This is why we have been
careful from the beginning of this struggle. If the State Government is
confident of all it claims that we are being sponsored, let it publish
the names of our sponsors and the name of the student leaders involved
with proof. Our agitations are premised on truth and conviction in what
is right, since 2011 that we have this exorbitant fee, nothing less than
600 students have dropped out from the school. More than 200 have
applied for Leave for absence to leave school that session and come back
when they have the money. Unfortunately, many left without coming back,
coupled with poor funding of the University. Why then will the students
fold hands as government systematically snatch Tertiary Education from
them?
ON GOVERNOR AMOSUN’S OGTV ANTICS
The
recent interview or show called, my stewardship, by Governor Amosun
televised on OGTV (Ogun State owned media outfit) is a case of misuse of
state resources.
The money that the State
Government has spent on propaganda, lies and influencing the media since
we started this struggle, if properly channeled would have an impact in
the development of our University. If Governor Amosun is convinced in
the things he said on OGTV, we challenge the state Government to come
back to OGTV and invite us to a debate on OGTV, not making it a one-way
discuss. How can he claim that we were masked during our protest? What
development especially infrastructural developments are they referring
to in OOU from the government?
ON OTHER 10 OGUN INSTITUTIONS’ PROPAGANDA
It
is beyond doubt that only our school, OOU, pays the highest, more than
three or four times what other institutions pay in Ogun State. Let it be
put straight, it is only OOU that started the agitation for reduction
in tuition fee. However, because the state government is more interested
in scoring political points and also some Union leaders have been a
puppet to the Deputy Speaker, Tola Banjo, which he make use of for
political agenda, the state Government extended the rushed cooked
reduction to them, which they were surprised of as they never expected
it.
Moreover, the other institutions are currently
in their second semester for the session of 2013\2014 which means
majority of them have paid the fees, set for first semester examination
unlike OOU that just started his 2013\2014 session. Therefore, how
justifiable is their demand for implementation of the reduction in their
already gone 2013\2014 session. Unfortunately, they also asked for this
only at the last meeting after information at our disposal pointed to
the feet that the state government through the Deputy speaker, Hon. Tola
Banjo had instigated them to demand for it, with some collecting
nothing less than 150,000 naira. All of these to show to the public that
indeed OOU is merely being troublesome and political since 10 out of 11
schools have accepted the Government’s offer and even journeyed for an
appreciation demonstration to the Governor. To us this can’t intimidate
us as Late Gani Fawehinmi once remarked, continue to stand even if you
are standing alone.
ON SHUT DOWN AND PROSCRIPTION OF OUR UNION
It
is highly unfortunate that the Governor shut down the Institution after
he requested for 7 days, which expired without any positive outcome
from him. This clearly shows that the Government is immature and
undemocratic. The Lagos State Government for more than 8 weeks of the
agitation for tuition fee reduction by the students, never for once shut
down the school on the order of the Governor, as the shutdown was done
by the Lasu management
To us, the Student s’ Union
Government of Olabisi Onabanjo University remains, because its
formation is by the entire students and therefore, no management, acting
on the directive of the Ogun State Government can proscribe it . There
is freedom of association, which is entrenched in the 1999 Constitution
of the country, and this section forms the undeniable constitutional
bases of our students’ Union.
However, it is
apparently incongruous, sad and depict that the Ogun State Governor is
civilian in appearance but military in approaching issues, especially
sensitive one like ours. We wonder how a government that professes
progressiveness and democratic, will shut down a school and attempt to
proscribe the Union just because they have superior argument in fighting
for their rights?
We therefore unequivocally,
demand the immediate re-opening of our institution as the school was set
up by an act of the Horse, and so, shutting it down alone by the
executive arm is unconstitutional and barbaric. This is not to claim
that we want the school reopened at the expense of our demands
ab-initio. The reopening of the school must also come with meeting our
demands. Mean while, contrary to school management’s claim of the
existence of Parents –Teacher s forum, we want the public to know that
there is no existence of such forum in our school. And for the
Journalists, just ask any student of OOU, if there is any existence of
such forum. Let it be known that any plan to put in place Care taker
Committee will be massively resisted by the students and will only
complicate issues.
TO OUR STUDENTS (OOUITES)
We
salute the courage and support of our students since this struggle
began especially since day 1 of our peaceful protest to Oke-Imosan,
Abeokuta. In our Congress, even the Union leaders were shocked by the
deluge of determined students (OOUITES) present. Your determination to
fight this course to the end has been our motivation. We salute all our
students that have remained in the school, despite the State
Government’s threat and influx of police and military men. We are
convinced that we shall win this struggle, regardless of intimidation,
threats, and propaganda against us. Our next move requires all hand to
be on deck. At this juncture, Barrister Femi Falana, the principal
officer of Falana and Falana Chambers on pro-bono, is now the Legal
Adviser of the Union on this case, as it is obvious that Government can
be funny at times. Sequel to this, the leadership of OOU students Union
wishes to express our profound gratitude to the Legal icon for accepting
to take up this historical task.
For record
purpose, it must be reiterated that on no account has OOU Union
Leader(s) solicited for any financial support/assistance from any
political group/ party/individuals to promote our struggle. The public
should therefore be weary of any person(s) going about asking for fund
under the disguise of OOU students Union.
On the
final note, we extend our appreciation to every organization (JAF),
National body of NANS movement, NANS ZONE D, the Union Leaders of LASU,
and every well meaning individual, Comrades and our ever-rugged Students
who have been standing by us.
OUR DEMANDS
1. More reduction in tuition fee which is in tandem with the economic reality of the State
2. Implementation of the reduction for 2013/2014 academic session
3. Proper funding of the University
4. Completion of the Hostel or immediate transfer to the school management
5. Immediate reopening of Olabisi Onabanjo University
6. Total removal of all security operatives (SSS, MOPOL, OP-MESSA, POLICE)
7. Non victimization of our Students or Students Leaders
In the face of exorbitant tuition fees, OOUITES shall emerge victorious.
Aluta continual
Victoria Ascerta
E-Soleto
E-Africa
Signed:
Ifade Olusegun (Socialist)
President
07033937013
Bamgbopa Olawale (Walerio)
Public Relations Officer
08032513000
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