Following the recent expulsion of one Ifemosu Michael Adewale, a student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), youths under the auspices of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have called on the Senate of the University to reinstate the student.
The student was expelled for allegedly expressing himself freely in an open letter to the university authority on the suffering of students on campus.
NYCN President, Bello Bala Shagari, in a statement on Tuesday alleged that “the Senate resorted into a so-called disciplinary action in order to completely ruin and destroy the career of a Comrade who has boldly stood for the right of his fellow students.”
Shagari explained that “having gone through the correspondence between the said student and the school management, we have found that the University is simply intolerant of freedom of expression which is guaranteed by our constitution in Section 39(1) and (2).”
“The open letter by the student is not by implication a “misrepresentation of fact” nor “defamation of character” as it has not singled out any individual in making any allegation as stated in the expulsion letter.” Shagari said.
He however added that “everything expressed by the student is an open secret of the Nigerian society and the situation of most of our federal universities which the present government under President Muhammadu Buhari is currently striving to correct.”
He noted that the silence of the students of FUNAAB for not standing up against injustice in the university is a testimony of fear of a similar action against them by school management which is regrettable, “Our students should not be afraid,” he added.
The NYCN, therefore, demanded for the immediate review of the action of the university’s senate “by reinstating Ifemosu Michael Adewale back to the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta.”
“We cannot stand idly by while youth and student are oppressed in our institutions, often leading them to depression and eventually suicide which has been a recent trend in our university.
“Should any student lose his/her life as result of a deliberate oppressive action by school authority, henceforth, the institution should be held responsible,” Shagari said.
