The student Union of University of Ibadan, on Wednesday, April 27, has denied the accusation by University management that the students' protest which was held recently led to the destruction of school properties.
The
students of UI staged a protest against the epileptic state of
amenities, such as light and water, and the rustication of a student, Tunji Ekpeti Michael.
In
a statement signed by the resident, Students’ Union, Olateju Oladimeji
and the PRO, Students’ Union, Ayantola Alayande, the student called on
the university to reopen the institution, adding that it was unfair for the management to order students out of the school in less than three hours.
Full Statement Below;
“Our
attention has been drawn to an inglorious publication released by the
University of Ibadan management on Tuesday, 26th April 2016, in response
to the legitimate but peaceful movement of the students of the
University of Ibadan in solidarity with NANS on campuses across the
South-west region against the satanic and extremely wicked decision of
the management of the university to rusticate one of the students on the
account of exercising his universally given right to peaceful protest.”
“While we are not surprised at the content of the
‘special release’, we sadly express our disappointment in the fact that
those who are supposed to be our teachers and custodians have descended
so low to pathological liars; essentially brandishing packs of
propaganda and cacophonies of deceit anytime resolvable conflicts erupt
in the University.”
“It is pathetic to
note that the University management in the said release stated that Mr.
Tunji Ekpeti Michael should “ordinarily be rusticated for gross
misconduct”, this notion, no doubt, is either a clear display of
management’s ignorance of their own law or its autocratic tendencies,
for only such can criminalise a peaceful protest. And we also need to
set the records straight that there are no “elements…operating
dangerously” under heavy masks and “threatening the peace and security
of innocent students”, we are all legitimate students peacefully
protesting for our legitimate rights.”
“As
true revolutionaries and legitimate leaders of our Union, we reaffirm
our commitment to the present struggle until our demands for justice are
met and our beloved, brilliant and promising Tunji Ekpeti Michael is
unconditionally reinstated immediately.”
“We are aware that the University Management has
been gathering sympathy with their false releases and propaganda against
us through various media and most especially, the Directorate of Public
Communication,University of Ibadan. The propaganda against us,
notwithstanding, we deny in unequivocal terms the allegation that we
destroyed properties and constituted threat to fellow students. This is a
popular demonstration and it is essentially a product of the majority
decision of our members (the entire students of the University of
Ibadan).”
“We also wish to state in clear
terms that the management’s luciferous position that the students
vacate their various hostels within an unacceptably short notice of less
than 3 hours cannot stand as we cherish the lives of our students and
cannot afford to place them on mass migration, of which previous
scenarios have not been palatable.”
“The
UI management should tell the world why it has chosen to forcefully
disperse almost 30,000 students to go home over diplomatic reinstatement
of a SINGLE student back on campus in the face of bad Nigerian roads
and economic realities. They should also tell the world why it has
consistently failed in providing light and water to the University
community, a situation which aggravated the protest.”
“We
commend the efforts of the generality of UI students who conducted
themselves in a matured manner, the Press, Police and other Security
agencies in our movement. We remain strongly ideological and firmly
committed to this struggle until justice is duly served. We welcome a
robust engagement from the UI administration to solving this small issue
it helped amplified.”
“We call on the UI
management to reinstate Tunji Ekpeti Michael and reopen the campus
immediately as there was no need for the closure ab initio. We are fully
motivated to take this injustice to the highest organs of our polity.”
No comments: