The belief in many quarters that
the Executive arm of the Nigerian system, is a major problem in the country
is playing out at the University of Jos, where executive recklessness,
intolerance, impunity, disdain, total detest and outright show of hatred, force,
intimidation and harassment have been deployed to suppress and frustrate the
students of the University.
The University’s management, has
been totally condemned, by many commentators and analysts, who have lend their
voices to the unfolding event where the management of the University have acted
in a manner that aptly describes the military era, in Nigeria. The commentators
described the action of the management of UniJos as not only hasty and untoward
but harsh, unpopular and unbefitting of any modern leadership.
“The management of the university,
by their decision to dissolve the Students’ Union body, over what could easily
pass as very flimsy, erratic and irrational reasoning, clearly demonstrated
that they lack respect for the right of the students, as critical stakeholders
of not just the University of Jos but, the Nigerian educational system, as a
whole”.
The dissolved Students’ Union, was
duly elected by the students, who by intent and purposes, are critical
stakeholders of not just the University of Jos, but the Nigerian education
system. The body is among the approved Unions in the Nigerian education system,
with clearly defined objectives, among which is to protect the interest of the
students. By any stretch of imagination, it was not intended that the union in
any school, would operate under the whims and caprices of the Vice Chancellor (VC)
and his/her management team. However, they are to operate within the law.
Still on the University of Jos saga,
it is even disheartening, to observe, that the students through the Union are
being punished for daring to call or engage the University Management for a
dialogue on a matter the leadership of the Students’ Union considered not
favourable to the students, what is to them an unjust policy. And in the spirit
of executive recklessness, excessive use of power and a show of impunity, the University
management visited the students with an order dissolving the Union. A decision many
observers said was taken in a hurry and in a very questionable manner. Some of
the observers have even gone ahead, to call on the University to redeem its
name, by doing the needful, which they claim is to reverse itself and the
obnoxious policy of the school.
It is a common knowledge and
practice that stakeholders of any system, do not just exist, relate and
interact with the system on individual basis, but make efforts to raise
structures that do not only give them a voice in the system but also creates a
platform through which they relate, voice out and negotiate among themselves
and with other critical stakeholders in the system.
The Nigerian University system
recognizes this arrangement. And I am aware that platforms such as the Senior
Staff Association, Academic Staff Union, None Academic Staff Union and other
similar platforms, including the students union, exist in Nigerian Universities.
The University of Jos is not immune from it. In particular, it must be stressed
that the existence of the Students’ Union of the University of Jos, is not at
the mercy of the University’s management.
I find it funny, ridiculous, indeed
unthinkable to imagine that the University’s Management would because of a
disagreement with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU),
or with the Academic staff Union (ASU), University of Jos Chapter, wake up and
dissolve any of the Unions. If Unionism is good for other stakeholders in the
University environment, it is also good for the students.
Any time, those in authority consider
it right to bring on board individuals with capacity to solve problems and resolve
disputes, the system and the Nigerian citizens will begin to give a sigh of
relief. Such people, when faced by challenges, including stiff oppositions,
resort to meaningful engagement of warring factions, without the use of sledge
hammer or any form of egoism and show of power. If anybody expects that a University
management, especially of the modern society should possess specialized skills
in emotional intelligence, constructive engagement, and conflict resolution,
that person would not be accused even by enemies of expecting so much from the
system and cannot be considered a misplaced priority or agenda.
Among the qualities, I guess a University
or indeed any school system should be interested in and equally prides itself
of, is the capacity to produce intelligent, bold, and as a matter of fact,
students that can challenge situations, decisions, rules, policies and mandates
that they consider unfavourable, questionable, and inimical to them and their
keens in any environment they find themselves. Here therefore lies my worry. Without
any form of trepidations, doubt or misgivings of any kind, I make bold to say
that the school system and environment, University inclusive, confer a sense of
order, direction and structured approach for intellectual intercourse among the
stakeholders: students, lecturers, teachers, and the management.
To behave in a manner that seems to
suggest that the management of the University of Jos, is a Lord over the
student Union or any other Union in the school, is abysmal and unfortunate. All
stakeholders in the school system are very important and also key to the
overall success of the system.
The Nigerian populace, witnessed
with dismay, how successive governments, at different levels, play the Lord and
how the academic and none academic groups, at various echelons of the education
system in the country resisted such. The consolation was, it was during the
military era.
On this note, I
am tempted to ask, what would be the excuse for the action of the management of
the University of Jos, if the military rule was the excuse in the past?
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