By
Ogunjimi James Taiwo
“We are only as strong as we are united; as weak
as we are divided.” - J.K Rowling
“If we can make substantive and quality changes in
higher education then I think, collectively we would be happy.” -
Tebogo Thothela
No
sooner had it been revealed that the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) had finally reached an agreement with the Nigerian Federal Government as
regards their demands, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS) went to the press in what has been viewed by some people as a
cheap attempt at rescuing their image following the embarrassing position they
took as regards the strike.
The
situation isn’t peculiar to Nigeria, all over Africa, emphasis isn’t placed on
education, and student leaders and ideological activists that address real
issues are thinning out.
With
the victory that ASUU won in Nigeria, it’s a message to student activists that
no sacrifice is too great to make in the struggle to revitalise the educational
sector. Student leaders need to understand that anyone who tries to stop youths
from having access to education is an enemy; no more no less and any union that
is trying to make it accessible to ordinary people must be supported totally.
Some student leaders are however too scared of
altercations with their school management and government that they clamp their
mouths shut and forget that they have a responsibility to society and have an
obligation to speak truth to power.
April
this year, a friend and vibrant student activist, Comrade Orapeleng Matshediso,
was suspended as President of the Student Representative Council of the
North-West University, South Africa for ‘asking questions’ and demanding that
action be taken as regards the death of one of his students.
Because he was on
the part of truth, he won at last. Student leaders must realise that no
government will willingly give you what you want, you’re the ones to go after
what you want without fear.
Student
leaders must remember that the democracy that most African countries enjoy
today has its victory rooted in student struggles, the students must now more
than ever recall the historic roles played then and be prepared to play those
roles in ensuring that the poor gets educated and in wresting power from the
few who want to keep the children of the poor in darkness.
Nigerian students
under NUNS fought the military to a standstill, risked their lives and ensured
that democracy reigned. In South Africa, the students and youths fought the
apartheid regime, sacrificing their lives so that others may enjoy a society
that promotes equality. The pre-independence and post-independence history of
Zimbabwe locates student activism at the core of the struggle.
Today,
student leaders in Africa need to awake. History once again beckons, Africa
has found itself in the same spot where it was back then, only that now, it’s
not foreigners who are oppressing us, neither is it the military(in most cases
at least), it is our own leaders dressed in the garb of democracy that now tie
the noose round our necks.
History
once again calls on student leaders Africa-wide to collectively reject the new
wave of repression that is going on, the new wave of denying education to the
poor and implementing policies that make education inaccessible.
To keep silent
will be betraying the roles that history has called us to play. Once again, Africa
awaits the revival of vibrant and ideological student activists to pursue her
liberation; Africa awaits its youths to give voice to her cry.
For Africa to arise; its youths must awake.
God
bless Africa!
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