Gagging of student activists
By It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in a society where the authorities take pride in enhancing SDC against the students. It is said that while our professors preach that progress is a far cry in a society shorn of peace, they allow fear to thrive in an environment governed by them.
They seem ignorant of the fact that the only thing you can learn under a climate of fear is servitude and cognitive dependence (The road before the fourth estate, pg. 42 and 43)
The level of student victimisation has immensely increased in the last few months. There has been a hatred for truth and student activism. The callous nature of the school management has negatively affected the lives of students who partake in truth saying and actions related to it.
Free mind and conscience, freedom of speech and expression have been perceived to be a threat to the school management and its environs. This perception has established a military form of system which doesn’t give opportunity for freedom to exist in the institution.
Students have been hunted, threatened, victimized and their voices shut down for choosing the path of truth and believing in a just society. Students’ activism has been seen as an attempt to put the name of the institution in disrepute and to equally turn students against the school management. A false ideology, I must say.
There is so much corruption in the Nigerian tertiary institution today and students who are the end receivers of all corrupt practices have been told to keep mute or face disciplinary actions. Students who go outside these warnings to speak the truth and express their opinions on issues that affect their education lose their studentship. What are our dear institutions grooming students to be?
The institution is supposed to be a place where students are taught to differentiate between bad and good and to speak out when faced with oppression and injustice, so as to make the world a better place but reverse seems to be the case.
A lot of cases have been reported and punishments ranging from expulsion and suspension has been served to students who decided to correct the abnormalities found in their respective institutions.
If this continues in our institutions, we will have citizens who will eventually venture into different positions in the country and will end up embracing corruption because those that stood for the truth were hunted, making them believe they took a wrong step; ignorantly grooming the leaders of tomorrow to be weaklings, cowards who can’t stand up for the truth because they have been fed with fear, the fear of losing what they cherish so much, the fear of losing their education.
If we can be allowed to speak the truth and to defend our claims, we will have fewer problems in the country. If only we can be allowed to express our opinions and thoughts, there will be less corruption and death rate.
The effect of all this is that corruption will be on the increase and students will suffer at the hands of the school management because their voices have seized and fear have been trampled on their needs. They become puppets and slaves with no freedom of speech and expression.
Students in different tertiary institutions are suffering, their confidence has been broken and ideology changed. Is this the kind of people who will take up the mantle of leadership in different sectors of the country? I fear for the future of our dear country, Nigeria.
Caleb Ijioma,
Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State
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