Have we all forgotten so soon that Injustice to one is injustice to all? Have we forgotten that survivors of today’s tyranny are only victims of tomorrow’s tyranny? Have we decided to all mind our businesses as though the evil and injustice that befell one of us could not happen to any one of us?
How is it that we all are not talking about the unjust, unfair, unconstitutional and illegal suspension of the UI 3 – Aduwo, Linus, Gbadegesin? Have we chosen to allow dissent voices within our institutions be clamped down on?
We must understand that, the only way to hold leaders and oppressors accountable is through criticism. These students who ordinarily should be applauded and given a standing ovation for not dropping out of schools when the increase in fee was imposed, but chose to speak truth to power by challenging the hike in school fees should not be left to fight this struggle alone.
At this point, we must all rally around the victimized UI3 and give them all the support that they need in fighting the management of the University of Ibadan who unjustly and wrongly suspended them for speaking against the fee hike.
We should also bear it in mind that, if we allow this injustice to go unchecked, it will become the new normalcy in our institutions as students may not find the voice to challenge questionable acts or policy of their institutions.
Let us not forget that education is the bedrock of any thriving society and as such, denying education to persons by way of constant increase in fees will never make us see the country of our dreams.
We must come together to fight and resist every clamp down on dissent voices, first, for it is our constitutional right as contained under section 39 of the 1999, constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria(as amended), secondly, to protect our democracy, thirdly, to breathe life to the rule of law.
We cannot claim to be in a democracy and operate a rule of law and some students who have challenged a particular policy in an institution are arbitrarily suspended. Due process must be observed!
On this, I call on the general public to give their support to the unjustly suspended UI3.
Viva Aluta”
Barr. JOSEPH ALIU, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer.
