“Pinkin wey say him mama no go sleep, him self no go sleep”
I woke up this morning and there was nothing on my mind. For about 2hours I wondered and wondered why nothing would be on the mind of a Bsc Physics student who only about 19 hours ago saw one of the most turbulent days ever in his life begin. Well, that is a story for a different day. Two hours and I was still lying on my bed, unable to say a word, unable to even say thank you to “Baba” the Baba above who had made it possible for me to see this day, unable to do any other thing than repeatedly counting the ceilings on the roof of my “cubicle” as someone would have my room called and reflecting on the above very popular Nigerian proverb. Even as I write this, I still continue to wonder who the “pikin” is and who the “mama” is in the battle between Adelabu; the Vice chancellor of the University of Abuja and the “staff” of the university.
May 2009, the news flicked in that a certain Professor of Solid State Physics would become the next VC of Uni-Abuja. Expectations were high about who this physicist was and how he was going to turnout. About 53 days passed and it was announced that Professor James Sunday Adelabu of the Department of Physics had won the hearts of the Lords of the University. He had unanimously been chosen by them as a replacement to Prof. Yaquoob.
A week later, the then highly respected Professor resumed duties. Nothing unusual happed and even if they did, just like new lovers, no one raised an eyebrow.
Time, they say, answers all questions, so those who criticized the election or if you like, the “selection” process of Adelabu patiently waited for time. After all, time would tell if the then new found love between the Lords of the university and the Professor of Physics would stand the test of time. For those who could see tomorrow, the “mene mene teken”was already written on every wall of the University of Abuja as early as January 2010 barely 5months after Adelabu became the Vice Chancellor. Those with the spirit of Nostradamus could also see that Adelabu’s position as the VC was nothing short of a time bomb, in due cause, it would explode.
The lists goes on, but ask any student of the university of Abuja any question about Adelabu even if it was how old Adelabu was, his answer would be “STRIKE”.
One wouldn’t blame any one who gives such answer after all; “Strike” has suddenly become the most common phenomenon among the uni-Abuja community in the past 5 years. The school has explored every single opportunity to embark on stay at home protest. It is on record that since 2010, Abuja has gone on strike or protest at least once every year. For the record keepers:
Back in 2010, the Remedial students took to the streets to protest. The massive protest saw these students go as far as the NTA station in Area II to report their grievances. As a welcome gift to the university community, Adelabu had stopped the usual practice of issuing admissions to Remedial students without them needing to write the then UME entrance examination conducted annually by JAMB.
The decision not to admit without Jamb came very late as UME had already been written. If you were lucky, your Remedial school fees was refunded and if you were not well, Adelabu has less than 4 days to complete his tenure, you can start your own protest.
In 2012, the Engineering and medical students took to the streets. Well, the fact that the school was shot down for over 7 months as a result is no longer qualified to appear in our National Dailies.
In 2013, the National body of the “Selfish and Greedy Workers Association of Nigeria” or if you like, ASSU started theirs. Abuja took center stage. By the time they received their Annual dose for their “anti-madness” syndrome, about 6 precious months had gone down the drain. Aggrieved uni-Abuja students expected the Adelabu led University senate council to have seized the opportunity to pull out of National ASSU since Abuja had only spent just a semester after reopening. Nothing happened!
June 2014, less than 5 months after coming back from the National madness, the local madness began.
2010-2014, four years, four different protests and strikes; on average every time this lock down occurred, we spent an average of 3 months at home wasting.
As I reflected on that very popular Nigerian proverb, I took some time off to press my calculator. In the end, I found out that in four years the university was closed for about 15 months. 15 months we wasted at home, 15 months they didn’t work and 15 months they all collected their pay. Without knowing it, I flanged my calculator to the wall in frustration and what followed afterwards is a story to be told some where else.
In the end, one thing is guaranteed; “When Adelabu writes his autobiography, uniAbuja, strike and protests” will definitely be the leading words in the book.
Let it not be that I have taken sides, it can be “claimed” that non of the aforementioned strikes and protests was Adelabu’s making but that doesn’t mean that something couldn’t have been done about them. Regarding the massive 2010 Remedial protest on the use of Jamb for Remedial admissions, one would say, that it was for the good of the students. Most science students were having problem with their NYSC deployment as their forms were usually incomplete. The NYSC policy required students to provide their Jamb Registration Numbers before being deployed for service. “Pesin wey no write Jamb no fit get Reg. number”.
Secondly, on the issue of bailing uniabuja out or pulling Uniabuja out of the National ASSU as UniIllorni did isn’t a problem peculiar to Uni-Abuja alone. After all, Uni-Illorin did not buy them selves out of National ASSU as most UniAbuja students believe. It should be noted that a VC does not have the power to disassociate its branch of ASSU from their National body.
I can also categorically say that the Engineering turmoil that UniAbuja went through wasn’t completely Adelabu’s making. In fact, if we are to truly and sincerely blame anyone, it could be Prof. Yaqoob, the former VC who kept on issuing admission to these students despite the fact that the courses were not accredited. To me, Adelabu deserves a“standing ovation” for stopping the school from admitting students into courses that were yet to be accredited. It should also be noted that it was during Adelabus tenure as VC that PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, VET MEDICINE, STATISTICS got full accreditation. It was Adelabu who built the faculties of science, faculty of Arts building at the permanent campus of UniAbuja. The 5,000 capacity multipurpose library at Permanent site is one of Africa’s largest libraries. Adelabu built it. A lot other innovative programs were started by Adelabu’s Administration. For instance, it was under Adelabu that the University fully began to do online registrations.
Prior to Adelabu as the VC, an average of 12 students got expelled from the school every semester. During his entire stay as VC, the total number of expelled students was less than 30. Only a student orientated VC can do this. To me, Adelabu did credibly well, although, he could have done more, because he had the capacity to do more.
I cannot go further without borrowing the words of the “Grammarian General of the Federation” Senator Patrick Obaigbon. It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf, that Adelabu’s greatest crime as VC of the University of Abuja was the policy that centralized all admission process in Uni-Abuja. By this singular policy, Adelabu stepped on a lot of toes. People not only began seeing him as an obstacle to the usual admission Racketeering, but also began to see him as a “chop alone” king. And as they say; “chop alone, die alone”. Adelabu’s tenure was eminently heading for the rocks but this time, not of a natural cause. The Lords of the school turned their backs at him. Even a blind man could see that Adelabu’s regime was doomed; heading into a “perpendicularly” sloped valley, nothing short of a miracle could stop his fall. Even if they couldn’t get rid of his position as VC, they made sure the university of Abuja became ungovernable for him after all “pikin wey say him mama no go sleep, him self no go sleep”.
EGO, PRIDE, UNCOMPROMISING PERSONALITY etc, coupled with a volatile, very selfish, over greedy and corrupt system were Adelabu’s greatest enemy and they fought him like “enemies from the village” until this day.
And as the battle for supremacy between the VC and his university employees went on, one thing was sure; the innocent students paid the unbearable cost!
As I drop my pen, I would like to say that any student supporting ASUU, SSANU, NASU, or the VC doesn’t know the true story. The best thing for every student of the university is to remain NEUTRAL. After all, these guys and the VC are all involved in “wars” that Ego and Pride caused and the students are the victims of this war. So, ASUU should not claim the title of “Holy Spirit” neither should the VC add the world “Angel” to his already very long Academic qualifications because none of them will pay for our lost time. Even my calculator that got spoilt while writing this, non will help me repair. why not? Had if not been for the stupidity of ASUU and Adelabu, ASUU wouldn’t have gone on strike and maybe, and, maybe, Miss Ijeoma, the 300L Business Administration student would be in school and not at Emab plaza the day the plaza got bombed and maybe, she would still be alive.
Daniel Iduh is a Bsc Physics student at the University of Abuja. He is also the proud author of Wattpad’s Award Nominee Classic Novel “30 Days to Divorce”
Follow Daniel on twitter at www.twitter.com/20thpresident and face book @ www.facebook.com/IduhodiakaDaniel. Better still, log on to; www.danieliduh.wordpress.com, www.wattpad.com/odiaka
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