The Deputy Dean, Student Affairs of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr Karo Ogbinaka has accused the suspended students’ union (ULSU) of working for their own selfish interests rather than that of the institution or its students.
This is coming as Lagos lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa, wrote the university on behalf of the union, seeking reversal of the suspension and withdrawal of the undertaking the students have to sign before Friday or be taken to court.
Speaking to The Nation in his office yesterday, Ogbinaka said most of the ULSU leaders were under investigation for defaulting in various ways in the institution.
“It is obvious that they are fighting some selfish and fraudulent interests because the demands they tendered to management just two days before the protest were based on trivial issues, not light or water or even higher cost of living. As a matter of fact, the President, Muhammed Olaniyan sent a very disrespectful message to the Vice Chancellor (Prof Rahamon Bello) just after the protest, making direct insults at him.”
He said all the Students’ Union leaders clamoured for in their meeting, was the need for a new bus, a renovated school gate and to force the VC to hold a town hall meeting with students, which he believed, were trivial issues.
On the issue of power and water, he said the management already informed ULSU that they had the intention to buy four generators to power the institution and regulate its supply due to power challenge in the country. However, contrary to the ULSU’s claim, only two have arrived because the university does not want all generators to get worn out at the same time.
Ogbinaka said the indemnity form the students were made to fill was legitimate, assuring that the UNILAG management would not do anything to jeopardise the future of their students.
However, Adegboruwa in a letter addressed to the vice chancellor and dated April 27, 2016, said the students, having been admitted and paid fees, already had a contract with the university and need not be made to sign an undertaking to be readmitted.
The lawyer also noted that suspending the union and asking the students to relate to the management through their faculty representatives was not in the general interest of the institution.
The lawyer therefore urged the university to suspend the signing of the forms, lift ban on the Students’ Union and dialogue with its leaders, postpone the first semester examinations due to start May 9 by one month, absorb students’ representatives into the council, the senate and congregation of the university.
He concluded saying: “Since the resumption for all students is already fixed for May 2, 2016, we expect your kind response to, and confirmation of the issues above mentioned, on or before April 29, 2016, failing which we shall proceed to execute our clients’ (ULSU and students) further instruction to apply to issue out a writ of summons from the court, for the determination of the said issues. Please treat as urgent and important.”
Some students, who spoke with The Nation on the forms yesterday, claimed it was unwarranted, and they were signing under duress.
A final year philosophy student, Valentine, said: “I have signed the form. I am on my way to submit it at my faculty. But I think it’s a very stupid form. The conditions stipulated for us to agree on are very unrelated to what happened on campus that day. It’s as if they are saying we are all cultists. And the banning of ULSU is just rude. Something that was just restored. I think it’s just a show of power by the University management, just like every powerful institution in Nigeria. But I am in my final year and I don’t want anything to jeopardise that so I signed and thank God I won’t be here to experience the consequences of signing the form later. It’s my younger brother, who is just in 100-Level that I pity.”
Some other students are however, hopeful about the restoration of the Unilag Student’s Union (ULSU).
Final year mass communication student, Charles said: “I haven’t even printed the form. I am waiting to see if our union can do something to help us out. I know they are working hard to restore ULSU. Besides, as far as we (him and his three friends) are concerned, ULSU isn’t proscribed. Because they only told us through the website that ULSU had been suspended but we haven’t seen any official notice to that effect. ULSU wasn’t inaugurated through a website so that one is unofficial. In any case, I am waiting to see what happens by Thursday before I sign.”
Anita in Psychology department said: “I have given the form to my parents to sign but as far as I am concerned, I signed it under duress. Because I don’t have a choice and we can’t even enter the school comfortably without the stupid form.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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