Students’ activism or unionism is a solid fulcrum on which the future and the voice of the students spin. It engenders the smooth working of the activities of students in every living and functional institution, KSU inclusive. It is the mouthpiece of the students in time of words, and the students’ weapon in times of war. It is not the students’ goody-bag, and does not serve as the Ponzi scheme of the comrades. The value of a president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) to students in any university is akin to that of a VC to lecturers. Quote me anywhere, it is not a position usually occupied by a boy; a malleable tyro, callow boy. It is a position of honour, laced with many threats to life and even to the life of the occupier’s status as a student. It is not a position for debauchery, for waltzing and cha cha cha; it is not for the timid and a cheetah coward. It is a position of integrity; for the bold, the unbending, the unyielding, the victorious and the valiant men; it is, above all, for social sacrifice. The occupier of the position is a shepherd who lays down his own life for the lives of his sheep. It is not for the gourmand and the kleptomaniac; it is not for the insatiable; and, to cap it all, not for the gullible boys and their retinue of avaricious comrades.
There are, currently, various pieces of news regarding the mortgaging of the future of KSU students by Mr Omepa and his filching comrades who, under the pretence of fighting for the students, have been rolling over and down with the booty of the tepid and the infertile, corruptible government of Yahaya Bello. The government gave the KSU SUG comrades a hungry ₦1m to seal their lips and render any students’ impending protest following the strike embarked upon by the lecturers of the institution as well as other institutions as a result of non-payment of salaries and other entitlements impotent. Omepa collected the money and whittle the war against government. By collecting the bribe from the Governor or its agents, Mr Omepa has not only abused the sensibility and intelligence of the students, but has also sold their future and general life savings and investments for a plate of rice. He should be pilloried, or worst still, castrated.
Even though Omepa denied any collection of money from the government or its agents, and went ahead to dub Ogiri as throwing dirt at him, Mr Omepa, if by his conscience, he is not guilty as charged, he should, within three days, mobilize students for a showdown with the government. He should design placards and make every student to carry one each. He should call a press conference and openly reveal the activities of the government against educational institution in Kogi State. He should reveal one strike action too many under the milky government of Yahaya Bello. Mr Omepa has the chance to shine and have his good records written in gold for daring a despotic, callous government. He should make Lokoja impassable for the motorists so that, through it, the local and international communities will be drawn into the plights of the parents and students, and force the passers-by to sympathize with them. Through it, the students might have higher voices lent into their pains. They may eventually have the imbroglio between students/lecturers and the government settled headlong. Mr Omepa should lead the protest, and from the front too. These are the only ways we will be convinced of Mr Omepa’s innocence. SUG under him will have its indelible mark imprinted for posterity if Mr Omepa can prove to us that the allegation of collection of money from the government is false if he will embark on the protest any moment this week.
– Dan E. B.,
Peace Community,
Lokoja.
danenigma2@gmail.com.
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