Former president of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) Segun Okeowo died last week, bequeathing a legacy of integrity. He was 73. The late Okeowo became famous during the 1978 Ali-Mon-Go students’ riot. Will students unionism remain the same after his death? ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.
•Tribute to Okeowo of Ali-Mon-Go fame
With his thick beard, the late Segun Okeowo truly cut the image of a leftist in his day as a students leader. As president of the defunct National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS), the precursor of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), he was a thorn in the flesh of the government. He shot to the limelight during the Ali-Mon-Go riot when he led students to protest the education policy of the Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo administration. The thrust of the protest was to get Col. Ahmadu Ali out as Federal Commissioner for Education. The coinage: Ali-Mon-Go came from his name.
Okeowo died last Monday, leaving the legacy of integrity and a true activist. He was 73. The question now being asked is whether those virtues he exhibited as a students leader would live after him.
The Ali-Mon-Go protest was a watershed in the history of students’ unionism. The late Okeowo’s leadership remains a barometer on which students’ unionism of these days may be gauged. Selflessness, comradeship, openness and true leadership are some of the ideals that stood the late Okeowo out.
The military approached the protest with force, leading to the death of many students, including Akintunde Ojo of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where the late Okeowo was also a student. The late Okeowo was brutalised and subsequently expelled from UNILAG. NUNS was also proscribed. One interesting thing was that the late Okeowo played his role as a leader even in the face of persecution. He did not betray the students he led. After his expulsion, the late Okeowo worked temporarily at the late Gani Fawehinmi chamber, which also led his legal team until he was readmitted into the University of ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife).
Okeowo’s leftist inclination was to later ginger other students’ organisation across university campuses who share in his radical ideals; thus picking up from where Okeowo left it to form the National Association of Nigerian Students’ (NANS) in the early 80s. By 1984, students’ activism, again, hit the rooftop, as NANS went on another nationwide protest when the Buhari-Idiagbon military government attempted to force tuition fees in universities down their throat.
On the two occasions, what is, however, noteworthy was the repeated demands by students of free and qualitative education as against the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF and World Bank, which the students believe would bring about different in social class, as well as inability of students, particularly from humble background to realise their potentials. Students’s leadership of those days also taunted the public office holders of recklessness and looting of the nation’s common wealth which, according to them, would have been used to realise quality education for the masses.
From the 90’s upward, students’ unionism began its journey into the abyss. Cases of factionalisation, cultism, corruption, and avarice, among others, became commonplace. Individual interest became enthroned and common goal was abandoned. It was also a time when the union began giving awards to individuals of often questionable pedigrees.
Some of the latest that still lingers was the factionalisation between two NANS president Ini Emomobong and Jude Imagwe. At the NANS convention in 2011, Ini had emerged a winner in a process that Imagwe contended was shoddy and corrupt. Imagwe had accused his co-contestant of bribing the delegates that helped his election success as against the rule guiding NANS elections. Thus, Imagwe and some of his supporters left the venue in anger to a nearby venue where another convention was organised with Imagwe emerging a winner.
However, all through their tenure, accusation and counter accusation, as well as stuggle for superiority were the order of the day. Jude faction claimed Emomobong, aside his lack of charisma for students’unionism, was also the godson of former Governor Godswill Akpabio, who they alleged sponsored him for the election. The Emomobong camp also faulted Imagwe for giving all sorts of awards to politician and public office holders of some questionable character, a practice they feel follows certain process as contained in the NANS constitution.
Besides, Imagwe was also accused of having openly declared his support for Dr Goodluck Jonathan who was then in the race for presidential election. Interestingly, Imagwe was never sorry and was ready to tell whoever cared to listen that his open support for Dr Jonathan was hinged on his belief that the former lecturer could turn the country around should he eventually win.
Muhammed Dauda, who succeeded the duo, carried the baggage of the rots. He attempted to bring some sanity by ensuring NANS was not factionalised. His tenure was nonetheless full of challenges as he tried to reform and rebrand NANS already battered image.
Another very recent drama was the face-off between Muhammed successor the incumbent Yinka Gbadebo and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities during the latter’s nearly six month strike.
At the peak of the strike, Gbadebo had called a briefing accusing the leadership of ASUU of not having student’s interest at heart. While calling on ASUU to call off the strike, return to the classroom, and commence re-negotiation with the Federal Government, Gbadebo argued that their demands for funding of universities are ‘unrealistic and un-implementable’. Gbadebo accused the academic body of playing the ostrich as no amount of money, if provided, could conveniently solve the challenges facing public universities within fouryears.
Said Gbadebo: “Having taken a holistic review of the details inherent in the agreement as signed by Federal Government and ASUU, it has become germane for us to call on ASUU to reconsider its present adamant stand on the continued closure of our universities.
“We must, as Nigerians, accept that the problem with our universities have developed over decades and would, therefore, be unimaginable that ASUU with its present stance want it totally resolved within the spate of four years that this agreement was signed.”
Gbadebo further said ASUU should not pretend to be more Catholic than the Pope as their members are also involved in sharp practices such as examination fraud, sex for marks, sexual abuse, laziness, among others.
Ropo Ewenla, who was the Student’s Union president of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU 1994/95), told our reporter that it might be a bit difficult comparing Okeowo’s time with theirs as every Students Union government had their strength and challenges which were subjective.
Ewenla recalled that at his time, the factionalisation in students’ unionism had even worsened to the effect that some of them teamed up with the military government.
“In my time, the factionalisation became so open. Some of the students broke away and formed an alliance with the military government. Some of us who did no share their view pitched our tent with the pro-democracy activists. Interestingly however, it became a question of who right and who was guilty. Whenever we, in the pro-democracy faction, accused our colleagues that they have sold their conscience by collecting money from the military, they, too, will fight back by saying: ‘did members of pro-democray group not give you money to carry out your activities too?’
Last year, students of the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Epe had embarked on a protest over delay in their results. In anger, the protesters stormed their Provost Office destroying property worth millions of naira.
Precisely three weeks ago, students of the Lagos State University (LASU) had stormed the Administrative Block One, which also houses the vice-chancellor’s office destroying virtually everything at sight. The protesters were demanding the reopening of the university’s portal for them to register ahead of their exams.
On Monday, Students of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin also staged another fierce protest over increase in their tuition. The protesters threatened to destroy college property, forcing the management to close down the school indefinitely.
Mr Osahon Bello, a graphic Artist, who was a student of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in the 70s, said students unionism in his days was far better than what obtains today.
He said: “The difference between the students unionism of then and today is like comparimg the Boys Scout with a soldier. There is nothing to compare at all.
“In our days in terms of discipline, our leaders were disciplined and accountable to the students. The school management held them in high esteem, so did the government.”
During Okeowo’s time, he recalled, students came out for a mass protest and they came out nationwide. There were no factions.
Today, NANS is factionalised. There are at least 10 claims to the presidency of NANS. It is the government that controls NANS. Now you have a NANS president going around in a convoy; that was unheard of in our time.
In my own time, we had a President we called Lato, who mobilised students to end an obnoxious government policy.
Then the Shagari government wanted to scrap the HND and replace it with the NND (Nigeria National Diploma. We knew it would be unacceptable anywhere. Lato called out students and we fought the government to a standstill.
Additional report by Kofoworola Bello-Osagie
