University Of IBADAN Students Union: A Greek Gift?

   In the last few days,there have been speculations as to if the backbone and pillar of the students' body of the premier university is about to be cancelled again just like it was in the year 2001. The students union which was cancelled as a result of the said or acclaimed unrest caused by students using the union as a front was later resuscitated in the year 2011,with Comrade Tokunbo Salako taking up the reins of power. These speculations are as a result of the dubious actions and interference of the management in the decisions made concerning the 2014/2015 electoral process that should have been held in the school community.

   The election which should not be later than 30days after resumption in March,a new session, and should have been held in May was first postponed to the 4th of June for executives of the union and the 11th of June for the Students Representative Council(SCR). This was done on the basis of having an election that would be credible enough and free of manipulation and rigging of any kind.
According to a faction of students representing the student body(not the SU executives in this case),the decision was made and agreed to by the student leaders,the SRC and the Vice Chancellor of the premier,Professor I.F Adewole,that votes should be counted at each hall of residence and a date was agreed upon,the 4th of July.
However few days after this agreement was reached,It was suspected that the electoral committee was showing its unwillingness and was acting on its own without carrying the SRC along in the decisions it took. Further investigation later showed that the committee was not acting alone but was acting on the instruction of the VC as it was realized that the VC only agreed to the demands of the student body to prevent an uprising but had other plans in mind.

   A meeting between the dean of student affairs,Professor A.A Alada and the speaker of the SRC,Hon. Ifeoluwa Egunjobi finally led to the revelation of the reason behind the delay in the election's budget approval as the dean of students told Madam speaker that the school was lacking the financial resources to fund the election. He said for the electoral process to take place,more money would be needed,more manpower would be needed which means more money to be paid to the officials that would be conducting the electoral process.
This excuse was of course not accepted by the students as it didn't sit down well with them or the aspirants when it was announced on the 30th of June that the election had been shifted to the 25th of September,2015.
The gloomy look on the faces of the aspirants and the heavy heart which they carried about spoke volumes about the disappointment they had towards the SU leaders who couldn't do anything to protect the union.

   Not long after this news circulated around the halls and faculties,a lot of students started throwing blames at the SU President,in person of Comrade Oluwafemi Odesola A.K.A Huntersola and his cabinet. They were accused of being too soft and weak and were called names such as VC's sons,traitors to the cause the union represent,even weaklings.
The students' anger flared at the rumours of a proposed increase in tuition fee and hostel fee from the least price of 16,400naira and 14,000naira to 65,000naira and 35,000naira respectively. This has however given the students the idea that the school management's attempt to stall the election is actually a means of totally eradicating the pillar of students called the student union because without a union,this proposed exploitation plan would scale through as their would be no one,no body to act in the interest of the students.

   One would ask,"if they reinstated the SU even after it was stopped,then they have the right to stop it once again if they want to."
But let me ask,is the student union their right or ours?should we beg for a union?should we grovel at their feet to have an advocate?
Other questions have risen however,questions like?
"Is another long term strike looming?"

"Is this a scheme by the management to send our union to an early grave?"

"Is this going to be the end of student unionism in the premier?"

"Are our students leaders so weak and scared of SDC and an extra year that they would rather sit back and watch things go wrong?"

"Why vie for a post,promise heaven and earth only to betray your fellow students just because you can't stand up to the management?"

"Is the VC who was once a strong activist in the 80s trying to scrap what he once believed in and strongly stood by?

Why give is a student union,only to collect it back at your own convenience?

   Following the past administration of several union leaders,rumours have risen about the school management planting spies in the student union,backing them up during elections,making them take up the highest positions and scare away other aspirants especially ones with the potential to lead,ones that can't be cajoled or manipulated with threats of various kinds,expulsion being their greatest weapon or threat. This act of manipulation and a ridicule of or management has made me believe the saying that warns us to beware of Greek bearing gifts.

   We were given a union and even though we fought for it's resuscitation,this union was still handed down to us as a gift,one they think we should eternally be grateful for. Of course there is no Greek gift without a recompense. We received it and our eagerness and thirst for an advocate,for a representative has not only given us smiles,the tears are also threatening and division is around the corner. Should this be allowed?
I can't help but wonder if this was a plan,a trick or stratagem,one that was strategized all along to make us feel secure,protected and rooted firmly only to strike at us at an unsuspecting hour,in our comfort zone?
Why bring a battle to us without warning first or perhaps you did give us warnings but we were too blind to notice the telltale signs.

   Finally I ask,are we going to sit back,flee from every appearance of SDC letter,go through the same trouble our fellow comrades in Great Ife went through to curb the excesses of the cock striding with pride over their heads and finally have a strike,stay home for a year,perhaps two before we finally realize the need for our union?
The Trojan gift is here already,it is our union. Do we send the gift back to the Greek so it causes us no harm?Perhaps we let it cause our separation and fall out and thereafter destroy us or do we subdue our own union,unify and stand our ground?Is it too late?
One thing is for sure,I am not backing down because then,I will be letting down the hope Kunle Adepeju and his fellow comrades had for the future of our union.
So I ask you,would you let the struggle of Tokunbo Salako,Kayode Bello and the likes of them go down the drain or would you rather unite and fight for what you believe in? To say we once had a union is wrong,this is the time to show the world what a union really is.
Indeed we have a union!

   Aluta continua,Victoria ascerta.