THE SIMPLE DEFINITION OF A WORTHY UNIVERSITY BY OJO ADEREMI

At Moor Plantation on Tuesday the 17th of April, students from institutions around South Western Nigeria gathered to discuss the salient issues affecting the nation. That, probably, was the first Congress of the National Association of Nigerian Students Zone D in recent years. Zone D of NANS prides itself as the most ideological zone of NANS. From UI and other affiliated colleges, we had about 20 students altogether bearing the identity of the University of Ibadan. OAU, Ife, AAUA, OOU, FUNAAB, LAUTECH, etc etc were represented too. I was not surprised that the "University" of Lagos was not represented. Honestly, I was not surprised. We'll come to that. Shortly.

Comrade Oloja, the Secretary of the Zone chaired the congress alongside the PRO. A three-man Committee on Communique which will later be issued was constituted with all three members coming from UI and affiliated colleges. The congress opened with prayers, the NANS anthem, and massive gyration.

The first issue was treated; the Fulani Herdsmen problem. I, being an enthusiast of History, gave a historical outlook to the problem. I recommended that the Fulanis be resettled as the time when nomadic culture thrived is over. All nomadic tribes must be resettled. This responsibility falls on the ministries in charge of culture, tourism, national orientation, land,  etc etc. I was applauded for that and my head was "bigging".

Then the main issue that brought us all to the Congress ground was thrown open for debate. It was there that UI/OAU domination of the Congress really began. This is not to impose a kind of feeling that places the schools above others. It simply deals with our levels of preparedness for the debate. A very detailed anti-deregulation speech was given (by me) negating what our colleagues who were in support of it by using historical facts and examples. I cited several sources that spoke about alternative approach to the issue. Quoting and talking about men like Thomas Sankara, Hugo Chavez, Augustus Allende, etc etc. Another round of applause.

Then a student of OAU Ife begged the congress for just 15 minutes to express himself. I thought the building was going to explode with the figures he was rolling out from his head. He was articulate and accurate. Well the beefing started. "Awon omo OAU yii gan"... Na only UI and Ife dey here. So we stopped talking.

After the Congress all the aspirants for posts from around the Zone began taking my contact. "The historian", one smiled "I felt your force bro". We agreed on joining the struggle faction of the NLC.

BUT DEEP DOWN INSIDE ME...

I knew I didn't deserve that praise. At least not when my university's Students' Union has not won any major victory against victimization of students or austerity measures such as fee increment in years. I was sad but determined. If another round of struggle has to break out for Mote's reinstatement, the myth we have built around ourselves as radicals will be either busted or established as truth. It all depends on whether we repeat our revolutionary attempts at resisting or not. I can trust more than two thousand students who are not tired yet.

One day, they will come for you too and the outcome will depend on what you did when it was not you. The resistance is not just about Mote it is about the future of this University.

Ojo Aderemi is the convener of the Patriotic Intelligentsia.