We have given up on the SU. Pardon us for saying that, but we are too old, frustrated and detached to care anymore, and if that is a lesson in the apathy of UIMSAites, we must say we understand now. Dearest UIMSAites, we are sorry. We are sorry for criticising your political inactivity, we are sorry for pushing you to vote and make your voice heard, we are sorry for failing to see things through your lens as well. And almost ironically, it was when we saw a UIMSAite ascend to the helm of affairs that this… whatever this is, came to being. Yet we must wonder, could things have turned out differently had we been more attuned to the undercurrents? Could we have saved ourselves from this conundrum had we demonstrated urgency in routing failing student consciousness a great many years ago? The heyday of student unionism appears to already be over, and it fills us with dread for the future of our country. Because this isn’t just about students. This is about the school, yes, but also about our nation, and our steady waltz towards totalitarianism.
One must think back to Tiananmen Square in the Summer of 1989, and the nation with which Nigeria shares a national day: China. The Chinese Communist Party rules today atop the ashes of student martyrs, marches hundreds of thousands strong, which nearly toppled Communist rule in the mainland. But today, communist rule in China is stronger than ever, even while morphing from Orthodox Communism to a more ‘Nationalist’ viewpoint, employing strong censorship to erase memories of the June Protests. Yet, student organisations such as the Beijing Students’ Autonomous Federation and the Hunger Strike Committee played integral roles in what were possibly the largest democratic demonstrations in world history. And they will live forever, even as China continues to negotiate with a collective amnesia domestically, just like with Nigeria and her Civil War.
All of this bears relevance to us, because we, the students, the intelligentsia, will always be the heart and soul of democracy. But in Nigeria, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate the role of the intellectual ruling class, so to speak, because there is none at all. We are a sorry excuse of a university, a wholly pitiful body of students. What defines the University of Ibadan today is a lack of cultural education. It is clear that our African Cultures and Civilisations General Studies course cannot be the extent of our collective social nous, but why then do we fail to extend ourselves? This weekend’s Sankara would have served at least some role in that respect, but it still doesn’t appear that we are a people who have a strong interest in the arts, history or politics. We have only an interest in passing exams, in past questions, in cheating our way to a degree that declares us to be worthy in character and learning, when we have no character, no moral compass and sense of our roles in safeguarding democracy, and no learning, no knowledge on the trappings of our country, no impetus to steer Nigeria away from fascism.
And fascism is a real threat indeed. With mounting political pressure ahead of the 2027 General Elections, and threats of electoral violence already reportedly issued in Lagos, it appears we look ahead to the prospect of that great big broom sweeping aside opposition yet again. And while Nigeria is often said to lack any real political ideology, fascism is quickly becoming the most appropriate term. It is not that great a reach. One would be remiss to discard the Party’s symbolism and her actions as anything else. The All Progressive Congress’ broom, or fasces if you will, denotes strength through unity, emphasising the unbreakable nature of the collective of sticks, the exact imagery associated with many fascist movements. But beyond mere symbolism, the actions of the party truly mean much more to us. Because, while Nigeria yet lacks the true sense of ultra-nationalism and promotion of state above individuals to be defined as fascist, trends suggest that amidst our immediate struggles, we could yet be heading towards that direction, in our institutions and in our country at large. Increasing state surveillance and suppression of dissidence is a concept we must already be familiar with as University of Ibadan students. Because, given the KGB-ification of Nigeria’s Department of State Security, and the propensity of security chiefs to allocate resources specifically to spying on students of the University of Ibadan, it is clear that as a nation we are making a conscious effort to kill off our Tiananmen Square before it even arises.
And with recent developments in this University, the two-session rustication of Aduwo and Gbadagesin in relation to May 13th, 2024 demonstrations, and subsequent invitation of Nice Linus to the Central Disciplinary Panel for the same offence, it becomes clear that all demonstrations are effectively outlawed, despite the University, in her handbook, expounding on her commitment to “the crucial importance of maintaining open communication and dialogue in the process of identifying and resolving problems which may arise from the dynamics of life in the University.” The hastily worded “Unauthorised/ Illegal demonstration/ disruption of University business/ activities, conducted without following due process as defined in this handbook” opens up these students to punishments ranging from rustication for one session to expulsion, more than the maximum penalty for fighting on school premises or various forms of examination malpractice. This inclusion almost appears to have come after the incident, given that it so desperately seeks justification to rusticate a mere trio of students who dared to wordlessly raise placards decrying the unwarranted school fee increments. And what even defines a legal demonstration? Vague language and more meandering that basically amounts to not stepping on toes. It is what it is.
Our Students’ Union Constitution, domiciled within this same Handbook published by the University’s Students’ Affairs Division, is not independent, but rather an extension of the bourgeoisie, telling of a dedication to the total liberation of Die Vaterland from all forms of domination and the attainment of national unity. But the picture that’s been before us for years is different. Where SU Presidents, such as Adeyinka ‘Mascot’ Adewole, would unilaterally declare the support of UI students for the ruling All Progressives Congress, much to the chagrin of the student community, or Alexander Brown Hall Executives would announce on public address systems that we support specific political candidates exclusively on the premise that they have financed the hall. Money that we do not see, money that could be lining the pockets of those who made such pronouncements, for all we know.
This all speaks to our ‘intellectual unionism’, and why elected officers deem us so abjectly anencephalic that they do all this in plain sight. This is not the intellectual class that was promised all those years ago, when the first stones were laid to establish the University College, Ibadan. This is not the dream of our nationalists at Independence, to see babes who know nothing of their history lead other babes who know even less. To speak to a UniIbadan student today is to be shocked at their ignorance and apathetic disregard for the state of affairs of this country. Yes, yes, we did say we forgive you. It’s difficult to retain any hope in our systems, but still, we have a responsibility to be informed.
University of Ibadan Students’ Union reposted. And shortly after, the SU’s July highlights would include tell of suspicious “efforts to ensure stable electricity during exams.” Tell us, UI’SU, how is it exactly that you are responsible for electricity supply in this University, even after you failed to curtail the rationing of electricity on this campus, even after you failed to rout the blackout persisting for medical students in the University College Hospital for months on end, and even as you currently fail to seek redress for CMF students plagued by power issues since the start of this year? Has it come to the point where our Students’ Union consistently takes credit for happenstance? Just as has happened with the infamous 6+14 farce, where they would lay claim to being the ever-vociferous voice of the students, securing a two-week extension of the June 6th school fees deadline, whereas the University only allowed this extension because NELFUND itself confirmed the list of student loan beneficiaries late.
But the person we feel most sorry for is the poor man who was driven to type this post. What sort of curse is the black man afflicted with that he celebrates electricity supply while studying for his exams, as though that wasn’t a necessity? But our mothball-ridden consciousness doesn’t allow us to dream beyond just getting by. And for this reason, our politicians, both within the university and beyond, will continue to profit off us for many years to come. It is this acceptance of the bare minimum that translates to celebrating Governors for rudimentary construction projects, even as they fail to create employment opportunities or drive any real economic growth. But the statement would even have been permissible outside of the context in which it came. Yet, this post would be published at the height of the victimisation of the UI3, when the SU had failed to act on behalf of these students who had sought to remedy the fee-hike that put so many of us at risk of dropping out. In fact, the Students’ Union wouldn’t acknowledge the fact until the 23rd of July, nine days after they were already sentenced. But all that doesn’t matter to Oluwa_Bunkunmi; everything is fine as long as he can study for his exams from the comfort of his brightly lit room, sorry, space, with his majestic standing fan blowing cool air and dust around that cubicle to calm his nerves as he attempts to assimilate another set of past questions.
But it’s not about just him, far from it. After all, nobody gave a hoot when the activists tried to rally people to march with them after that verdict, even when they were in their own hall of residence, Independence Hall. Despite both hailing from that hall, Aduwo and Gbadagesin didn’t get the requisite support, and till today, Independence Hall is yet to acknowledge this verdict. This is reality, these are the people the UI3 have sacrificed their studentship for! It all comes back to this vicious cycle of apathy. In what world is it profitable to demonstrate on behalf of fellow students? None! The University metes out punitive sanctions, and the student populace you march for frankly couldn’t care less about your cause. It’s the same across board; they just want to pass examinations here and leave, with no sense of concern for those who will follow. And in that manner, the deal is sealed, free speech is successfully curtailed in the University of Ibadan. There will never be demonstrations on the scale of the last few years again. Hold onto those memories well, as they are the last vestiges of a conscious university. More fee hikes will come, and you will take out loans to pay for them without saying a thing, because that is what you deserve. And in time, you’d mean to send your own children here to get the best education the country has to offer, but you wouldn’t be able to afford to at all, despite having a well-paying job, despite being even better off than your parents were when you schooled here. That is reality.
There will never be another Tiananmen Square again. Because today, the CCP continues to expunge any mention of those demonstrations from Chinese Internet, and the little of it that appears in textbooks is the Government’s version of events, downplaying the lives of thousands who died in those demonstrations, seeking a free China. Given the harsh punishments at that time, and the fact that the Communist Party managed to consolidate power, there is no incentive to dissent anymore. Today, young people in China grow up without any knowledge of the June ‘89 protests, grossly apathetic, and firmly under the grip of the government. The few activists who survived those protests have, in time, focused their energies on pushing for economic rather than political reforms. There is no opposition, no dialogue, no questioning of the ruling class. It is in falling into these trappings of apathy that we fast-track the building of a fascist society. This masterclass is brought to you courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party, the University of Ibadan, and the All Progressives Congress. The question remains, will you go gently into that good night? Or will you rage, rage against the dying of the light?
