Students Unionism in Nigeria now Led with Morale not Morals —By Comrade Ini-obong Uko

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Iniobong Uko|31 July 2016

In 2009 when I wanted to go into the Nigerian Defense Academy, I had a role model in the army- My dad, who took time to teach me the characters of a successful soldier. Dwelling his discourse more on being intelligent, alert, tactical, calculative and courageous as being the characteristics of a successful military man. According to him, the military is meant for comrades of high moral standards and a little of morale for bravery. He said those comrades in the army who have more morales than morals are those who die first in the battle field because they are not tactical and calculative in their moves. Well, I didn't make it to NDA any more but that knowledge of how to engage in a war is still one of my guiding principles even as a civilian. One of them is the one as postulated by a Chinese war strategist Sun Tzu in his book THE ART OF WAR who said that "To overcome others' armies without fighting is the best of skill".

It's quite unfortunate that students unionism of this generation is no more standing on the principles of comradeship and chivalry, love and brotherhood, unity and progress but has been jeopardized into a state described by an English Philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his book, The Leviathan, as "The State of Nature". The state of nature was used to describe a society of anarchy, brutality, violence. And according to Hobbes everyone had equal rights to self preservation. This implies that man is at liberty to do anything to preserve himself even if it means hurting another. It should be noted that in this stage of human existence no progress can be recorded as man is out to bastardize one another.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) which is the mother body of students organizations in Nigeria is one of those students' advocacy platform which has been hijacked by some lawless hoodlums who felt they would lost out in the NANS 2016 GOMBE CONVENTION. But while I still believe in the Leadership of Prince Maiphen, the 2016 NANS CONVENTION CHAIRMAN who was duly elected by Nigerian Students to conduct an election as soon as possible which will help avoid the looming crises in the students unionism I wish to address the looming crises and the kidnapping saga currently in the news as it is alleged to had happened yesterday in Akwa Ibom State in the Commissioner for Education's office.

Like it is said,  "Unreplied lies attend the status of truth". The crisis in National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS) did not start today, it all began over eight years ago when we allowed a "Robert Mugabe" to stay in the system for over eight years as the President of NAAKISS which as I speak he is still using the official bus of that association. This attitude had truncated the efforts of Akwa Ibom Students to get welfare packages from government. But I'm always grateful to Comrade Ini Ememobong who used his office then as the SA to the Governor on students along side Comrade David Effiong-the then NAAKISS President University of Uyo chapter to coordinate other chapter Presidents and collectively had a mutual understanding which brought about the payment of bursary in 2015.

At this point it would rather be necessary to engage in a dialogue than violence. Violent would still be to our detriment as students because our welfare packages as students may be tempered with by some of our greedy politicians who are in a better position to advise the students against violence. Instead they are part of the distorted leadership saga in the union.

A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE.

Iniobong Uko
Is a Student Unionist