- The management and Nigerian police should provide adequate security for the students now
- Students should start mobilizing for a campaign against insecurity now
- Staff unions should not wait until they start to become victims as well
- A political alternative is highly essential
We hereby call on the school management to embark on an effective security measures in order to curb these issues before it gets out of hand.
According to the Dean, Mr. O.O. Olaluwoye, one Miss Oladepo Blessing Oluwaferanmi, of the department of BIO/CHEM (NCE combination), was declared missing on the 28 of July, 2017. On the 4th of August, another student, Miss Oloruntimilehin Semilore Mary, of the department of Agricultural Science, was also declared missing. As if this is not enough, another case of a missing female student. Miss Olaniyan Mary Oluwaseun, a Degree 1 student of the department of History, was reported missing on the 1st day of September, 2017.
Before the most recent case, the students thought the issue of insecurity was over when the Men of the police reportedly arrested 2 suspects who allegedly used one of the missing girls for ritual. As reported by the Sahara Reporters on the 27th of August, 2017, the decomposed body of one of the missing Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo girls was found in the ritualists den with one or more of her body parts missing. Up till now, the body (dead or alive) of the second student has not been found. The latest development was the disappearance of another student of the foremost teachers’ training college in Nigeria.
As frequently reported by the friends of the victims, these ladies were kidnapped on their way to their Boyfriends’ houses. As if this is the solution, female students are now being severally warned to restrict their visit and movement to their Boyfriends’ houses. We argue that this is not the solution to the problem. The management and Men of the police should find a long-lasting solution to the lingering insecurity issue. We have seen cases in the same college whereby armed men break into houses, steal valuable properties, injure male students, and rape ladies. Perhaps, students should restrain from sleeping in their rented apartments off-campus at nights?
Even the school premises are not secure. There have been several cases of theft and robbery reported in the school premises. Some hostels, like the Café female hostel, have witnessed several cases of theft in the recent days. Even a HOD’s office was been burgled while the students had to pay for the loss. All these are indication of a complete insecurity of lives and properties in the Federal-owned College.
This issue of insecurity started months ago and the members of ERC have raised the awareness on the need for adequate security measures. For us in ERC, we believe the college management should be able to provide adequate security for their students within and outside the college. Students live outside the campus due to the inadequate hostel facilities within the college premises. Hence, students living off-campus are eligible to all security measures enforced within the school premises. More so, we call on the Nigerian Police to deploy adequate security Men to the vicinity of the college in order to curb the high rate of kidnapping, theft, and armed robbery.
The students of the college should commence an immediate plan of action to demand adequate securities for their lives and properties. One of the reasons for the existence of a Students’ Union is to discuss the issues that concern the students with a view to finding solutions to them. Sadly, a union without a well-attended congress of students is very far from finding solutions to issues like insecurity. Hence, we call on students to start raising the demand for a mass campaign against insecurity. Truly, those who are affected will know the essence of adequate security.
What goes around will definitely come around. Staff unions should not wait until they start to become victim of insecurity. In as much as a HOD’s office can be burgled, the remaining members of the staff of the college are not safe. We therefore call on the NASU, SSANU, and COEASU of the college to mobilize themselves in order to find a lasting solution to the case of insecurity in the college. Some members of the staff have children who are also students of the college. Hence, a prompt intervention of the staff unions is highly essential.
Nevertheless, we have seen cases where the Men of the Police are completely clueless and rendered inactive. More so, this issue of insecurity is not only the topic of the day in institutions like ACE ONDO. It can be recalled that students of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) went on a protest on August 16, 2016, to demand adequate security of their lives and properties. Hence, students’ and staff need to take the struggle for adequate security beyond the four walls of the school. Insecurity is one of the numerous shortcomings of the inequitable capitalist system and the Buhari/APC-led government as evident in daily reports; take Evans as an example.
This is why we members of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) are calling for a genuine mass workers political alternative that will wrest political power from the few millionaire looters and establish a workers and poor people’s government anchored on socialist policies. It is until the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy is are placed under the democratic control and management of the working people that the social conditions of inequality and mass poverty that creates the problem of insecurity can be totally eradicated.
Owoyomi Damilola Owot
Ondo State ERC Coordinator
07065184322
Erc_ondo@yahoo.com
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