P
PressRoom
Guest
No doubt, student protest is a very potent way of making the school authorities listen, and succumb to the will of the studentry. In fact, in civilised societies protest is endorsed as one of the ways to put the government on its toes and knees. In Nigeria, we have had protests that have caused a positive paradigm shift, while others yielded no good results. In Nigerian tertiary institutions, however, some protests are deemed as foolish and destructive. One of them is the recent rampage by students of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, AIFCE, Owerri on the issue of not allowingmales in female hostels beyond 7pm. The management said it has sadly uncovered that some female students were cohabiting with their counterparts in male hostels, which was an intolerable abuse.
Looking at the situation on a whole, this is one of a very absurd reasons to go on such a destructive rampage. Alvan Ikoku College won't be the first tertiary institution to engage in such an horrible act and applicable to other higher citadels in Nigeria. Here is a look at some of the terrible consequences of student protests in Nigeria.
1. Hurting Innocent Students: It cannot be entirely ruled out that not all students partake in protests. There are some students who are more concentrated on other activities than joining their colleagues on rampage. Some have been snapped by religious activities, others are more devoted on their academics and do not support or see no reason for agitation. When protests like this occur, these students are part of those that bear the brunt of the management actions or decisions. Just as protesting students deem it as rightful to agitate, the exclusive rights of other students to be passive should also be respected and not harmed with destructive rage.
2. Ruining Your Future With Your Hands: No one wants to see his handiwork destroyed or damaged. The equipment damaged by students during protests are what they have at one or the other been useful to them. The properties are there to ensure the smooth running of the school system. Once these materials are gone, they students suffer from poor learning methods, thus ruining their future.
3. Future Leadership at Stake: We all chant 'We are the leaders of tomorrow or perhaps today'. Are these the same set of students who will take up leadership positions in the near future? Being part of (destructive) protests harm the chances of occupying leadership positions.
4. Payment for Damages Is Certain: No matter how right the protest may be, what is certain is the payment for damages. The school authorities definitely has a way to make the protesting students pay for what they have destroyed. We have had cases of increment in school fee because of this. Just as expected, the Alvan Ikoku College of Education has inaugurated a 12-man committee to critically investigate and ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the recent students unrest in the institution. The panelists were also charged to ascertain the level of damage recorded by the institution, apportion blame where necessary and make recommendations.
5. Studentship at Stake: Especially with student leaders who champion these protests, they are faced with the risk of either losing their studentship or suspended, while the school continues with the academic year. This reason should make students think twice before engaging in protests. Our Education system is not yet good than to add extra days, weeks, months or years to one's duration of study.
6. Unstable Academic Calender: Institutions already have a clear-cut plan of how the academic session would be run – and of course, they do not foresee any protest to come in the way. Protests disrupt institution's academic calender, with wasteful years for its students.
7. Prolonged Years In College: Not only will unstable academic calendar mar the school's activities, it will also prolong the years of the students. Need to say that I have been part of this and know how it works. One of the terrible consequences of protests is that students spend more than the years meant for study. Students with 4-year course timeline end up spending 5, 6, or even more. And also for student leaders, the extra years they are slammed with make them unqualified for certain positions after their degree. We have cases of students who because of protests could not be mobilised for Youths Service, and some could not fit in for job positions because their age is do not match the degree certificate they have.
8. Bad Label For School: This is one of the very sad resultant effects of Protests. Institutions
with increased number of protests suffer being tagged a 'Striking' school. This diminishes the repute of the school as well as the students.
9. Brutality, Rage, Shootings, Death: This is always the sad tale of student protests in Nigeria. Violence cannot be separated from student protests in Nigeria. They are most times confronted by security forces who brutalise them, fire tear gas canisters at them, sometimes shoot them leading to untimely loss of lives. Student protest can also be hijacked by aggrieved organisations to propagate their selfish desires. On a whole, lives should not be lost in student agitation.
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Times Have Changed: Humanity is advancing. Time have changed. The world has has grown beyond unreasonable protests with terrible consequences. Governments at all levels are giving room for discussions and dialogues as options to avoid protest. Student governments in tertiary institutions should not be left out of this, they should look deeply into management's actions, and channel their grievances through a more respectable means.
Looking at the situation on a whole, this is one of a very absurd reasons to go on such a destructive rampage. Alvan Ikoku College won't be the first tertiary institution to engage in such an horrible act and applicable to other higher citadels in Nigeria. Here is a look at some of the terrible consequences of student protests in Nigeria.
1. Hurting Innocent Students: It cannot be entirely ruled out that not all students partake in protests. There are some students who are more concentrated on other activities than joining their colleagues on rampage. Some have been snapped by religious activities, others are more devoted on their academics and do not support or see no reason for agitation. When protests like this occur, these students are part of those that bear the brunt of the management actions or decisions. Just as protesting students deem it as rightful to agitate, the exclusive rights of other students to be passive should also be respected and not harmed with destructive rage.
2. Ruining Your Future With Your Hands: No one wants to see his handiwork destroyed or damaged. The equipment damaged by students during protests are what they have at one or the other been useful to them. The properties are there to ensure the smooth running of the school system. Once these materials are gone, they students suffer from poor learning methods, thus ruining their future.
3. Future Leadership at Stake: We all chant 'We are the leaders of tomorrow or perhaps today'. Are these the same set of students who will take up leadership positions in the near future? Being part of (destructive) protests harm the chances of occupying leadership positions.
4. Payment for Damages Is Certain: No matter how right the protest may be, what is certain is the payment for damages. The school authorities definitely has a way to make the protesting students pay for what they have destroyed. We have had cases of increment in school fee because of this. Just as expected, the Alvan Ikoku College of Education has inaugurated a 12-man committee to critically investigate and ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the recent students unrest in the institution. The panelists were also charged to ascertain the level of damage recorded by the institution, apportion blame where necessary and make recommendations.
5. Studentship at Stake: Especially with student leaders who champion these protests, they are faced with the risk of either losing their studentship or suspended, while the school continues with the academic year. This reason should make students think twice before engaging in protests. Our Education system is not yet good than to add extra days, weeks, months or years to one's duration of study.
6. Unstable Academic Calender: Institutions already have a clear-cut plan of how the academic session would be run – and of course, they do not foresee any protest to come in the way. Protests disrupt institution's academic calender, with wasteful years for its students.
7. Prolonged Years In College: Not only will unstable academic calendar mar the school's activities, it will also prolong the years of the students. Need to say that I have been part of this and know how it works. One of the terrible consequences of protests is that students spend more than the years meant for study. Students with 4-year course timeline end up spending 5, 6, or even more. And also for student leaders, the extra years they are slammed with make them unqualified for certain positions after their degree. We have cases of students who because of protests could not be mobilised for Youths Service, and some could not fit in for job positions because their age is do not match the degree certificate they have.
8. Bad Label For School: This is one of the very sad resultant effects of Protests. Institutions
with increased number of protests suffer being tagged a 'Striking' school. This diminishes the repute of the school as well as the students.
9. Brutality, Rage, Shootings, Death: This is always the sad tale of student protests in Nigeria. Violence cannot be separated from student protests in Nigeria. They are most times confronted by security forces who brutalise them, fire tear gas canisters at them, sometimes shoot them leading to untimely loss of lives. Student protest can also be hijacked by aggrieved organisations to propagate their selfish desires. On a whole, lives should not be lost in student agitation.
----
Times Have Changed: Humanity is advancing. Time have changed. The world has has grown beyond unreasonable protests with terrible consequences. Governments at all levels are giving room for discussions and dialogues as options to avoid protest. Student governments in tertiary institutions should not be left out of this, they should look deeply into management's actions, and channel their grievances through a more respectable means.