Confrontation; But where Are The Other Cs Of Aluta

In the recent time, I have taken a keen interest in observing the success of Students Unionism is Nigeria and I have no record to put together of achievement of this association. The question should be:Why is students unions failing in all institutions and at the national level?

  In the olden days, whenever the students send a signal of raising aluta force against any person(s) or constituted authority, irrespective of the cabal involved in the oppression, they begin to shiver and sought for a way of calming the infuriating mood in the students and quickly reach for a solution to please their agitations. And if this is not done, the oppressors stand to lose a lot by the force of the aluta struggle. Unfortunately, in our days, the more we raise aluta force, the worse we begin to lose our weight of victory. What was in the unionism of those days that has been lost in the recent time?

Let me relate the eight months scenario in LAUTECH and the STAFEC struggle of TASUED to this note, did we make any gallant achievement out of the protest? The unwanted answer but truth is NO. I see this problem in that we have upheld 'Confrontation' and  jettisoned the other two Cs of aluta which are Consultation and Consolidation.

Noteworthy is it that my fellow comrades out there would not want to belief these two watchwords have been left to the olden days because they tend to table their misconceptions at meetings. In view of this, they do not listen to understand at meetings but only lend their hearing ears to speak out their own demand, hence losing the cogent ideas  which Consultation entails.
 Apparently, the Consultation ideas being misplaced, the vital C in Consolidation becomes unachievable and then we cry out for an aluta force. Is this really the way out?
Let me make this fact known, as bitter as it may sound, we will continue to lose to the oppressors the more as long as we don't stand for our right in the right way. Few days before TASUEDITES  went to governor Amosun's office on STAFEC, I wrote a short memo in support of the move and as well gave an advice to us which I said "being the oppressed doesn't always make you right nor does being the majority make you win, but fighting for your right in the right manner along with the right mind and right people will always do". But so sad as it is, we still fell into the wrong way and consequently came back to our hostels with no achievement to be proud of. The only achievement I recorded is that, we became the headline of all national newspapers and media stations the following day and for the rest of the week. However, critically examining the momentum we gained, I realised we've only made ourselves a source of getting audience and possibly making earnings to the media. We cried and our voice was heard indeed but have we achieved our demands? Let the question roll down into our minds.

  It is essential that I should pinpoint an idea to possibly reduce our failure to the minimum if not eradicate it. We need brains and captivating mouths in our aluta barracks and not minds with baseless thoughts and shoulders with tactless skills of holding the spear.

It is not until we shout to be heard nor when we raise forceful struggle that we win. But when we can communicate to be listened to, table our demands intelligently and raise an alarm when there is the need to do that we begin to win again. Fellow Nigerian Students! let us set aside the passion in the heart but embrace the ideas of the intellect. There is a clear difference between being radical and being rascal, and the moment we identify the difference to our benefit, that is when we canscan start winning again.

Soneye Abdul-Azeez Lekan
www.soneyeabdazeezl@gmail.com
08102721959