Rianat Ademola 

In the past few days, there have been noticeable shifts in the atmosphere around the University of Ibadan and its environs. It deviated from the usual peaceful and serene atmosphere when the school fee increase was announced, despite the country’s current economic hardships. The whip of the school fee hike came down harder as the deadline approached, this left students to take action and fight against the exorbitant school fee hike, which was unusual for the university.

The students expressed their dissatisfaction with the sudden increase in school fees and electricity rationing by staging a peaceful protest on July 17, 2024. AccordingtoThe release, “the vice chancellor 10 hours daily electricity supply on Campus”. A breakdown of the schedule was also included. This was the straw that broke the back. The students expressed their concerns as soon as the release was circulated, citing the inconvenient timing of the electricity. Nobody knows who is behind the protest’s dancing masquerade, but it became a reality as a result of student agitation for change. A change for a conducive learning.

Lawal Abdulquyyum, a Zikite who reportedly oversaw the start of the protest explained to the NASELS PRESS how the protest started. He clarified that “the protest was not initiated by the Students Union but by the students themselves who were already frustrated with the situation within their citadel of learning. It started in Zik hall when there was no light that night. Students were just agitated and complaining then it was decided that we should protest ”. He further added that “the protest was decided on by the students that night after the protest had been agreed. We started mobilising everyone to join that night. We went to all the hostels, Indy hall, Bello hall, Mellanby, Queens and other hostels before we headed to the Vice Chancellor’s office to demand his presence and we spent more than an hour waiting for him late in the night. It was later scheduled that we would continue the next day before everybody left when we were unable to see the vice chancellor”. He also stated, “That night, we already agreed that there would be no movement or transportation that day before the Students Union announced that there would be no lecture the next day.” He explained that some people were initially hesitant to join the protest, but “the Students Union interference swung people into action and gave the protest a wide audience,” he added. 

Recall, The Team Amelioration published a statement on Tuesday midnight, stating that there will be no lectures or transportation on school grounds which gave the protest publicity. The release called for total reversal of fees, the management should release a memo debunking 10- hour of electricity supply, no students must be victimized, the prerequisite of GES textbooks must be scrapped, assessment of Alexander Brown hall’s electricity situation, reduce the waiting hours of Jaja clinic, the deadline for payment of school fees must be overruled.

Right in the chilly Wednesday morning, the chants of protest were heard across all hostels, urging people to join in the protest. It has been established that the last time a protest was held was on May 29, 2017 during the administration of Mr. Aderemi Ojo as the students Union President “disrupted public peace exhaustively” as published on the University website. The 2017 protest called for the use of electric-powered (hotplate) cooking appliances in their hostels, That two days ultimatum be given to the University Management to constitute the Students’ Welfare Board, That the scheduled programme of Oyo State Government at the International Conference centre (ICC) to be chaired by the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, be disrupted, That the Sango/UI/Ojoo highway be occupied and blocked, That all Faculties, Lecture Rooms and the Centre for General Studies be locked, That  ‘No ID Card, no Examination. However, because of the protest’s disruption of the peace, the Students’ Union was disbanded and its operations were suspended that year.

Although student protests are uncommon at the University of Ibadan, they have been observed to be absent from the area since the 2017 protest. The Yoruba say “Àgbò tó taa dị sị ẹyìn agbára lo lo mú wa,” which means that the cow that backs off has arrived with all its might. Students who had not protested in 7 years, while suffering and smiling, have returned stronger. It became clear that Uites are not cowards; they have stood up and spoken out against issues that concern them, and this was accomplished through unity.

On May 14, 2024, four students held a peaceful protest during the inauguration of the current SU executives. Aduwo Ayodele, Nice Linus, and Mide Gbadegesin, along with activist Femi Adeyeye, were summoned to the Student Disciplinary Committee following the protest. Students’ concerns were aroused by the University’s action, but they did not take any further action because no one wants to face SDC. It is a nightmare for every student. These students inspired resentment from the university management but their fellow students and media outlets supported and demanded justice for them.

Aesop’s quote which says “ United we stand, divided we fall” emphasises the spirit of unity and collaboration. The four students’ initial protest did not succeed because a large number of voices were not involved. July 17, 2024 which saw the start of the second protest, drew participation from over half of the student body, including the current and former Students Union executives. Despite the announcement of the SU that students should boycott their classes, Some lecturers went ahead with their scheduled classes, and some even reportedly gave their students tests to write. The protesters had to go to different faculties and send out the students from the classrooms before heading to Trenchard hall where the meeting was held between the VC, the school management, the SU executives and a few students. Students waited for hours, some secured the university entrance gate to prevent movement while the meeting was ongoing. Many media houses, including television and newspapers, were also seen at the hall to cover the protest.

Aluta continua, Victoria Acerta which means “the struggle continues, victory is certain” is the catchphrase of UI students as some of their demands were met. After the meeting, the mandatory GES textbooks are no longer required, the notion of electricity rationing has been refuted, and most importantly, the deadline for paying school fees has been overruled and the payment of fees has been put on hold. Also, all charges against the first four protesters were dismissed. The majority of the issues raised by the students were settled amicably. However, some students were dissatisfied with the fact that school fees were not reversed rather than being told that they would be. That is not the focus of this publication.

A leader sets an example for others to follow. The protest also affirmed UI’s status as the first and best university, setting a standard for other institutions to follow. Most Nigerians associate the word “protest” with images of lifeless bodies on the ground, vandalized buildings, and burning infrastructure, a metaphor for a bloody event. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines protest as a solemn declaration of opinion, usually one of dissent. Uites exemplified this definition of protest by demonstrating a peaceful one. This demonstrates the students’ high level of maturity and intellectuality in the pursuit for their rights. 

Though the resolution on school fees remains pending, the meeting concluded that “the University management will present a revised school fee to the governing council as soon as possible.” When defining democracy, the human rights of the governed must be considered. Democracy symbolizes power, but that power is vested in the people. That is, people wield power when they work together, not when a quarter of them stand while others refuse. Unity has its own definition “as people are in agreement and act together for a particular purpose” in Collins dictionary. The lesson learned from this protest is to be united, whether as students, citizens, or denizens, and to speak up even when the truth may provoke, even when others pessimistically say the protest will not solve it or that the protest is not the solution, or when they asked what the outcomes of previous protests were, the success of the protest has shown that it is better to be courageous than to do nothing. 

Classes have been resumed afterwards following the positive response of the protest. In all, these students were courageous enough to register their displeasure to the school management even when faced with assumptions that they might not be given audience at all or that Abefele would come running towards them with whips in hands to arrest them, that they might spend be arrested and spend their night at the prison or that it might be rushed into their academic gown to face the panel of SDC, which might result to two or three semesters suspension, or that Students Union would be dissolved yet again. In unison, they trampled upon these presumptions while exercising their rights, and affirmed that truly,”Aluta continua, Victoria Acerta.”