‘We did not destroy properties, school management lied’ – UI students

The student Union of University of Ibadan, on Wednesday, denied that the union members destroyed properties of the university while protesting against the epileptic state of amenities, such as light and water, as well as the reinstatement of a student, Tunji Ekpeti Michael.

This was contained in a statement signed by the President, Students’ Union, Olateju Oladimeji and the PRO, Students’ Union, Ayantola Alayande.

While calling on the university management to reopen the institution, the union noted that it was unfair to order students out of the school in less than three hours.

The statement reads: “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.”

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