INTERVIEW WITH MR. AKINYODE TOPE SAMUEL OF OAU. (Popularly and politically known as TOPSY)

    

   Interview with One of the finest and most radical commrades in Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife which has been widely considered to be the most politically conscious institution in Nigeria.

   Akinyode Temitope Samuel who happens to be a public speaker; is a final year student of OAU, studying Law. He was a major political force in the last student union election, coming second out of eight contestants for the presidential seat. Prior to then, he has been a vibrant student activist on campus and has equally occupied various leadership positions within and outside the frame of student unionism.

   Temitope has also been more charismatic due to his stunning handsome and well-built stature, which keeps many wondering how he combined all the features in accurate proportions. In this interview, Commrade     Topsy explains some challenges and spills more beans on his experiences as an activist on campus.

   T FACET: Good Afternoon sir, Can we meet you?

Topsy: Good Afternoon, I am Akinyode Tope Samuel, a final year Law student in Obafemi Awolowo University. I hail from Ogbomosho in Oyo State, but I have spent most of my years in Ibadan and I base in Ibadan.

   T FACET: Sir, we understand that you’ve been actively involved in OAU student unionism; can you share some of your experiences?

Topsy: Hmmm…It’s been a tedious task, considering the fact that it takes mental alertness, bravery of heart, integrity of the heart, and the readiness to speak at all times for the defense of what is true and pure. Society often confers on us, the weak and lame mentality of conformity even to the worst and most dehumanizing things. In that instance, it takes a conscious rebirth of oneself to probe into, query and seek alternative to less than reasonable protocols or norms.

   T FACET: Do you mind shedding more light on ‘the society conferring the worst... things on us’?

Topsy: To put it straight, things are bad in the country which eventually penetrates into all sectors of the country; Education, Entertainment, Power sector, Administrative sector, just to mention but a few. Reasons for these anomalies have been largely due to corruption, embezzlement of public funds, lack of qualitative leadership amidst other things. In all of these things I’ve mentioned, you would discover that the problems of this society are caused by human beings themselves, not by God or machines. Now, it will take a corresponding, radical approach to silence or overwhelm these abnormalities in the system. As a result of that, confrontations between persons might just be inevitable. For example, as it boils down to our school – Obafemi Awolowo University, recently, the School Management in their own wisdom decided that because students were paying little for their school fees, they needed to astronomically increase the school fees, in fact the Vice-Chancellor emphatically said that if his grand children can be paying higher than the university students, that is enough reasonable ground to increase the school fees.  People like us, stood against it, giving reasons that, apart from the fact that it amounts to total wickedness to  increase the school fees just because you feel that it is too low, increment in school fees can never and would never translate into improved welfare condition of the students life. Today in Obafemi Awolowo University, our arguments have been validated; Power supply is epileptic, water supply is very minimal and even when there is water supply, you would be shocked that the primary qualities that makes up water is absent, because the water has color, has odor and has taste, and this was the exact opposite of the condition of the university when the university was paying less, at least five years ago when I was in my 100level. But because some fellow student activists spoke against this demonic and astronomical fee increment, they were suspended, and that explains what the society tells you to do, to keep shut and not say the truth.

   T FACET: Can you give examples of some of some of the victims of the suspension.

Topsy: Commrades; Juwon, Engels, Sammie, Olamide, Johnson etc.

   T FACET: We understand that you are a very active member of various organizations on campus, can you share some with us?

Topsy: I am a member of Pacesetters Movement, which is an ideological group on campus. I am a member of Levuz Writes’ Organization. Equity Chambers (Faculty of Law), Pearl Foundation and some other organizations.

   T FACET: How have you been able to combine being an active activist with all these organizations, some of which you hold major offices?

Topsy: Versatility is a product of diligence, it requires being serious, understanding your passion and following suit with commitment and of course time planning.

   T FACET: What do you see concerning the February 14 Nigerian Presidential elections?

Topsy: Like I would always say, that the leadership of a people is a reflection of the people themselves, while I reckon with the fact that in a democratic society, electorates would rise and fall in making either right and wrong decisions, but right now, my emphasis is that the time is ripe for Nigerians to be thoroughly conscious of casting their votes not in the line of dubious, religious, ethnic or federal character sentiments but in the rational realm of competence, sound leadership qualities and integrity of the contestants.

   T FACET: What is your take on the coming OAU Students union elections, which would be in few months’ time?

Topsy:  Strictly, I adopt my previous comment on the Nigerian general elections.

   T FACET: How come you’ve been able to manage a very handsome face, despite the well-known rugged and ungentlemanly activism in OAU campus? And have you been facing challenges from ladies based on your Tall, dark and handsome features?

Topsy: {Laughs} Student Unionism does not equate thuggery, and being radical does not mean being a rascal. In any case, a union that is for the students and by the students should be richly intellectually garnished, and for that reason, it should be more of intellectual battle and not physical battle which is being fought with ammunitions.  {Laughs again} I have not been having any challenges with ladies.

   T FACET: Thank you sir, for honoring our shortly informed interview.

Topsy: It’s all my pleasure. Thank you for interviewing me too.