Last Updated on January 25, 2013 by admin
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole (Arrowed), addressing FUNAABSU Executives.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole has charged Students Union Executives in tertiary institutions in the country to drop “Aluta” Unionism and embrace the world order of quality, intellectual and developmental unionism.
Professor Oyewole gave the charge just as he passed a Vote of Confidence on Mr. Dipo Adesipo led Students Union Executive of the University.
He spoke at a Luncheon, organized for FUNAABSU Executive, held at his official Lodge.
The President of FUNAAB Students Union, Mr. Dipo Adesipo had earlier in his speech set the ball rolling when he declared that his type of Unionism and Executive doesn’t believe in “Aluta” Unionism, but intellectual and dialogue unionism”.
Impressed by Adesipo’s declaration, the Vice-Chancellor in his speech said, “I will tell you anytime the President of our Student Union is talking, I just have to pay attention to him because he just don’t say anything for saying sake”.
“He says things that make sense. He told us today that there is a new spirit to unionism. Please I am pleading with you buy into that new spirit. That spirit is a spirit of intellectual unionism”.
Professor Oyewole recalled that while working with Association of African Universities (AAU) and African Union in Ethiopia where he was also in charge of Universities, he had series of meetings and interactions with Universities in Europe.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that during those meetings with Universities in Europe, “One thing I found about unionism is that the students and their unions are concerned with quality. They are concern about the development of their countries. They are very strong, organized and they are also rich”.
“But here in Africa, it is all about “Aluta” Students Union Government.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m looking forward to when our student will be giving Scholarship to those who are in need among us”.
Professor Oyewole called on Nigerian students and their leaders to shun Aluta Unionism because we are”in an environment where people will want you to destroy things. We are in an environment where some people are not happy when there’s peace on campus. We are depending on our students. Please don’t allow yourself to be used by anybody for evil”, he admonished.
Earlier in his speech, the Dean of Students Affairs, Professor Olufemi Onifade charged the Student Union Executives and students at large to see themselves as future leaders and as such should not allow anybody or situations to waste their lives.
