LETTER TO COUNTRY MEN ON 2011 AND STUDENTS’ UNIONISM IN NIGERIA. I t is true that the year 2011 has become a sound of hastening intuition of news everywhere in the country. But, it seems as if the students at all levels; most especially those at the tertiary level are quiet about it and are feeling soothing. Students’ unionism has over the years been eaten by the cancerous disease battling the human race; fear. A lot of our students are living in the realm of carefree stance to the helm of the state of the political farce of the country. I say this with all apprehension and good yearning for the movement of my country and the students’ struggle pressure group. While some will surely say that what is the students’ movement? Or what in question constitutes the students’ movement? It is bestowed on me as a person, as a Law student and as a Pan-African Socialist, to explain to you all (students and the public), what is meant by students’ movement and what in actuality, history and also by conduct constitutes a students’ movement. Maybe I should start from explaining what unionism entails; what is meant by saying Students’ unionism. But, I think it will be very apt for me to even start from the very point of relating and also defining what a union is. “A union is an institutional expression of the basic political tension and collectivity of the community and value of people who constitute it as a body.” It is primarily a political organ. Its sense of duty and structure is majorly political. The bona fide quintessence of a Students’ union is not only over the welfare of her students; but also over the political movement in the country. And this was precise enough in the early 70s’ to late 90s’. But due to the fact that the society is fast derailing from the intellectual society to the moral society: the studentry and the masses are bagging the nuts and bolts of collective movement that hold our interest. The union of the students, is by definition and function, an opposition to the anti-students’ policies and actions of the government in the country. The students’ union as a body of collective strength, cannot abandon its opposition value without also neglecting its function for its members. And the greatest threat to a Union of allegiance is the accusation that such a union has probably sold out to the management or the government of the day. So to say a union is an institution, it is thus a political body built for materialist reasons and provisions of her members; its behavior must be determined by its survival needs. And its survival needs as a matter of fact and necessity, depend upon the political struggles, so as to maintain its survival, rather than becoming a mere body of social association. The basic lie that has served well as a political propaganda against our students’ movements in the country has been by the management of tertiary institutions and by both the federal and state government. And that propaganda has been the word called ‘STRIKE’. When the movement of students calls for strike, it is never a means of disrupting the academic calendar of the various institutions; rather, it is the last resort of weapon, used by this pressure group, called Students’ union. The general propaganda against the students’ movement in Nigeria is that those who constitute the leadership of such collective and dependable bodies of students’ movements are thugs or rogues: and maybe that is why they normally embark on strike. But that is not the case. Fellow men and women, you the people of this country called Nigeria, till when are we going to smile and laugh in the face of chameleonic civilian rule? The country generates more than billions of naira within a week and they allocate more than usual and enough for public political officers who are not even sincere with the society. The Nigerian society is that which has got no regards for education and health. If truly our health sector is sound like those of our contemporaries in overseas as it is usually posed on media, why are the rich ones going to fetch for themselves health care in the overseas? If truly the educational sector is something to write home about, why are their children schooling in overseas? If truly our education is more than that of ABC, why are they sending their wards to private and expensive tertiary institutions? These are what the public should ask themselves. When dialogue can no longer give one what is necessary, then left of one, is nothing but the use of resistance against such a misdeed. I whole-heartedly borrow from that revolutionary anthem of Great Ife, which says, “ALUTA AGAINST ALL OPPRESSION…” Strike, is the main political weapon of any union; it is the emotional affirmation of union solidarity and of the common cause of the workers and students, which constitute most what is called the masses. An old adage of the students’ union says, “No strike is ever lost.” What the above aphorism means is that, it is true that not all the strike embarked upon can really fetch the students’ movement the answer to what is demanded. But there is a strong belief in the fact that, if we (students) fight against the bad policies and governance, we may win or lose; what is most important is that, we seek the conquest of justice and good governance. It is true that when there is a protest, an agitation for what ought to be done and then neglected, some persons who are agents of the underworld in power, will try as far as possible to blackmail and perforate such a movement, it is then of utmost importance, for the leadership of such a struggle, to keep the mob/masses in control: for only in the face of struggles, protests and persecutions that the attitude of true leadership of the students’ movement is shown and demonstrated. And if the leadership of such movement can try to keep the movement in boundary, then the evil political propaganda of the evil public men will be as useless as they are. Even a protest can be done without the leadership of the students’ movement, if such students’ movement is not sincere with its self and its members. If a movement of students is jeopardized by the insincerity of their leaders, then such movement will be trampled upon as we have mostly on present day Nigerian campuses. The Nigerian studentry have failed in all ramifications towards the continuity and ideal faithfulness to students’ unionism and the state of the nation. N ow to 2011: I am pretty sure that people reading this piece will think I am about to make a full critical analysis of the electoral saga that betroths the 2011. But the purpose of commenting on 2011 aside it being as a topic is to possibly decipher what 2011 should be and would be for the people of the country and for all unions in the country. The pregnant year, 2011, is a season in history that will epitomize the new pages of history in the country. Permit me to use these literary words that, the new pages maybe comic ended or tragedy ended. 2011, is a year that will set a new pace and findings for the country; most especially in the political dominion of the country. It is either, there is a continuation of the present bourgeoisie parties or let say, it is either the government of the rich and the influential ones continues, or there is a radical change in the system of the governance of the people. This I mean by the fact that, it is either the masses, the workers rule the country. I want us not to have the likes of the governor of Edo state in mind, because, he has displayed total betrayal and personal avariciousness and nothing less. He is merely driven by ambition. Though I am as neutral as the constitution thinks of a civil servant to be in the political realm in the country; but I am concerned with the political situation in my country as a students’ activist. Oshiomole is a man driven by position, power, fame and money; and who does not know that Ibrahim Babangida does not worth to become the president of this nation once again? But power and money has made an Oshiomole to lick the foot of an IBB; oh I remember, one man, one vote (one man, one poverty and one corruption). If truly the students of this nation want to save themselves from the continuous suffering and poor/underfunding of education, they should try as much as possible to stop an IBB and that confused/political sycophant, called ATIKU. These are men of corruption, shame, greediness, unfaithfulness and gross social misconducts. And it is at this juncture that I will like to seriously and genuinely advice the Nigerian youths. In the sense that, the national body that seems to represent the interest of the students, is far from what it ought to do. And I am talking about that corrupt and thuggish organization called NANS. The original duty of NANS, which is to conscientize the Nigerian youths about the political situations in the country, has not been fulfilled. This body called NANS is a pressure group and that was why I explained supra, the functions and definitions of a collective body of an enterprise of a group of people. If truly NANS were to be sincere with their original course, how come they were nowhere to be found during the four months strike that held our students, lecturers and workers to ransom? They are not sincere with us. The only time you hear that NANS exists is when they congratulate a PDP politician on radio or television or on the pages of newspapers, so as to have individual connection and recognition from such a person or administration. The first thing to note, is that this same body, that claims to be fighting for the Nigerian students at large, have not in the recent years staged a national protest against the extortive and oppressive policies of the Nigerian government. The truth is bitter they say. But it is an open wound, which only conscience will surely heal. The leadership of NANS has finally betrayed the Nigerian students at large. They have proved to us that NANS has compromised the interest of the Nigerian students; and that NANS is now an annex political party; and also an arsenal of thuggery and gangsterism for those pot-bellied, corrupt politicians in our country, Nigeria. I must also press forward on the issue of NANS that, if truly NANS has been sincere and it is still sincere, why has it not stopped the Hell Fire of VICTIMIZATION OF STUDENTS’ ACTIVISTS on Nigerian campuses? If truly NANS is objective and dedicated to the course of struggle, why have they not done something to the increment in the school fees of both the state and federal tertiary institutions? I say, if it is true that NANS is still the political body which is still in support of the Nigerian students and not anti-students, why are they not pressing both the federal and state governments to pay the bursaries to the Nigerian students on campus? Even the U.S that has less significance to trade unions , still pay monthly allowance to her students, because they know and they are not blind to see that a society without education is not yet and may never be civilized enough to progress in all sectors. Fellow Nigerian students, during the four months break, a body which has not yet even gained solidarity from Nigerian students, but which has a genuine course of Nigerian students in mind, was the one that issued press statements, conferences and protests throughout the whole nation, signifying that NANS has ceased to function and that there is an urgent need to revitalize the genuine spirit of students’ unionism in the country. That body that was part of those that helped negotiates and restores the victory: named, EDUCATION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (ERC). It is true this organization started from my citadel of learning, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY (OAU); but it does not connote that we are trying to seize control of students’ unionism as some political intellectual vegetables and neophytes will say. The truth is that, the interest of the Nigerian students matters a lot to the country herself. Lastly fellow Nigerian students: since NANS has failed us for so many years, I humbly implore you all that NANS which has displayed total un-commitment to the course of the Nigerian students and youths, should be dumped and trampled upon by the Nigerian students because they have failed the Nigerian youths and students. Let us deliberate, should EDUCATION RIGHTS’ CAMPAIGN (ERC) be adopted as the new national body of Nigerian students, or should there be an avenue for deliberations and submissions to form a new true and sincere collective body that will fight for Nigerian students? STUDENTS OF ALL NATIONS; FIGHT FOR STANDARD AND QUALITATIVE EDUCATION! ENOCH OJOTISA (COMRADE ORACLE) FACULTY OF LAW, OAU poetojotisa@yahoo.com ; 07031816797