Press Statement: Attack on Democratic Rights in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife: A Call for Intervention

The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) secretariat was destroyed by security men on 5th October, 2010 by a directive of the Dean of Students' Affairs (DSA), Dr (Mrs.) Durosinmi, and supervised by the warden of the Fajuyi hall, where the secretariat is situated, Mr. Falope.

This is a continuation of the attacks previously launched against the organization by some students' union officials under the directive of the same DSA, and other university officials including the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Adesanya, the Chief Security Officer, Mr. Yinka Salami and the Chairman of the University’s Security Committee, Prof. J.A Fabayo, (find attached statement) in July, where several members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) were physically attacked, detained and their properties destroyed by the sponsored thugs. The aim is to extinct the organization and replace it with neo-fascist elements, but this has so far failed, as the organization was able to gather itself and continued to raise campaign on welfare demands of students and workers. Thus, the latest attacks are meant to give official cover for what has already being planned.

Elimination of leftist organizations on campus, especially DSM, which is seen as the arrowhead against campaign against under funding of education, privatization, commercialization, corruption (both within and without the university) and the management's maladministration, has been a major agenda of the university management under the headship of Prof. Micheal Oladimeji Faborode, the vice chancellor. It is ridiculous that the same university management that set up Investigative Panel into the July attack, as a result of massive outcry against the attacks, aside refusing to release the report of the panel for the past one month, is now launching another attack on the victims of the July attack.

We call for the Nigerian public, civil society, pro-democracy groups, labour movement, students' movement, socialist organizations, etc to prevail on the OAU management to stop turning the university into a jungle. Since his inception, Prof. Micheal Faborode administration has been one of continuous attacks on both progressive students' and workers' movements on campus. Several students' leaders have been and are still being victimized while the union was once banned because of its radicalism; the new union was only allowed to exist because it has the image of the management. For instance, a student journalist, Ayo Ademiluyi was refused graduation because a campus newspaper he edited published a story on the pension fund in OAU, which the university management found unsavoury.

We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the July 12-14 attacks on leftist-students including university officials aforementioned and their thugs. We demand immediate compensation to all those whose properties were destroyed and end to victimization and management sponsored violence against activists.

Thank you.

Comrade Lawal Orsh (08036473893, 08059399178) Secretary General

* DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MOVEMENT (DSM) Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife Branch 142.5, Block 3 Fajuyi Hall, OAU, Ile-Ife tel: 08036473893, email: [email][email protected], website: www.socialistnigeria.org