SUG: ARE THERE STILL COMRADES ON CAMPUSES?
knocks. Their children brought up easy, let it slip
away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren
are once more slaves” – D. H. Lawrence
(1885-1938)
As an undergraduate, It is a common site to see
Students Activists/Comrades who are always
supposedly ready and willing to fight and defend
the right(s) and interests of students against any
oppression or intimidation, usually personified in
the management of your school. It is also
believed that they can offer support (esp. for
ladies) when dealing with irrational demands of
some lecturer.
Yes, so it is meant to be. Unfortunately, that
was in the past. If you are still living under
that illusion, my brother, you better wake up! If
you still think there is an activist group or a
virile Students Union in your Higher Institution of
Learning which will arise anytime to fight for
your interest(s)? Ogbeni, O.Y.O (On Your Own)
lo wa Ooo… It’s even time overdue for you to
have a paradigm shift in the way you think.
Ernesto Che Quevera has said it all: “liberators
do not exist; the people liberate themselves.”
“you are the captain of your soul and the master
of your fate.” so said William Henley in his
Poem “INVICTUS”. You’re your own liberator; No
one will chart for your course, you liberate
yourself from any form of oppression that may in
one or the other chain you down.
Nowadays, there are no really “Comrades” again;
everyone fights for his/her personal gains /
interests.
Most of them are mere ideologues who know
how to make things work in theory! They
promise heaven on earth before their elections,
then you see them flock around with numerous
ladies who satisfy them in bed. Hardly would you
see an SUG President who is really ready to lead
any struggle; even those who does goes on
“Inside Begging”- playing the Student populace
like pawns on the Chessboard. They’ll stage a
protest in the morning, sing different ALUTA
songs, spit fire, condemn the cause for that
struggle, and lambast the school authority. We
fools, we’ll shout, scream and hail them.
But lo and behold, their bitterest enemies in the
morning are already their allies in the afternoon,
they also end up wining and dining with them at
night-Grand Betrayal at its peak! Their palms are
easily greased. Sooner than later their tenure
ends they’ll join the league of car owners;
they’ve played the fast track on us. They are
indeed the “Blessed Omo Odo naa, ti o fi Ogbon
se”.
They use our union to achieve their selfish aims
– Foolish Nigerian Students! What we have now
in most of our higher institutions of learning are
pocket-inspired students activists/comrades and
political party agents.
Contemporary Nigerian Students Union
Governments have been infiltrated and rendered
powerless. That explains why we have some self
acclaimed “Stakeholder” usually ex students, who
have practically become pensioners of the various
students’ union-SUG, JCC, NANS…. Abeg, what
‘stake’ do you hold after graduating for the past
10 years!
The status quo is purely a deviation from the
legacies of our forefathers who fought under
harsh circumstances to ensure that students have
a platform to articulate and defend their rights.
This generation of unionism have become a tale
of woe; Our Students Union is speedily sinking
into the morass of a shattered and meaningless
existence and there seems to be no hope. I pray
the generation yet to be admitted will not curse
us for our corporate silence of death.
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