Analysis Of Governor Ajimobi’s Engagement With LAUTECH Students’ Mob -By Israel Dara Sobaloju

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State

Funny, you may say. I almost thought Governor Ajimobi is now the official ambassador of FERMA when I watched the video posted on Instagram by Sahara Reporters some hours ago, where the supposed governor of Oyo state – Sen. Abiola Ajimobi was throwing tantrums with the students of Lautech- who were protesting based on the closure of their university for over eight months.

I, a bonafied indigene of Oyo state, choose to believe that the governor was naive of his words when he was cooking them up. Maybe this is what happens when a Nigerian governor choose to address a mob of protesters without fore preparation of a written document by his special adviser.

He may have made some indecent statements in his address, but that does not nullify the fact that he made some sensible contributions also. Firstly, I will like to commend the partial sense of responsibility that he done on himself to actually come out of a meeting to address the students as he said in the video.

It’s morally right that when a young chap makes a mistake,an elder must not be so ignorant to join him in his mistakes if he wants to correct him. This is one of the mistakes the governor made, some may choose to say the comments were based on his emotional terrain, but of what use is a leader who can not lead his own emotions.

In his words he said “You complain your school is shut since 8 months. Am I the person who closed your school?” What an unworthy comment? Asking this question is of no effect as it’s obvious that every thing that happens in a social system is as a result of the direct or indirect influence of the social leaders. It’s clear that his indirect influence- non-payment of the necessary dues led to the closure of the university. So, thinking of the statement alone is ridiculous.

Close to a minute of the video, he further said “if this is how you want to talk to me, then go and do your worst. If you want to be troublesome, then go, I’m ready for you.” Do your worst? I’m ready? Well he may not understand the psychology of words, saying those words makes the situation vulnerable to the attack of the government’s enemies. He’s also only making the students to feel dejected, that their so-called government does not care about them. Instead of inputting energy to protecting his people’s right he wants to input energy to preventing them from their right.

The governor also talked about “respecting constituted authority” I believe he should have quoted this from the bible, even at that, the meaning of constituted authority should not be raped. How can one respect a constituted authority who does not respect the right of his people. Respect is reciprocal, since he has failed in his duty of taking the full responsibility of not being able to fulfill his electoral vows, then he missed out the opportunity of being a respected constituted authority.

When he said “eight months of what, this is not the first time schools are getting shut. So what?” I thought I had lost my ears when I heard this, but no. How a democratically elected governor could say this, is what I don’t understand. This is not the first time schools are getting shut implies shutting down a school should be a yearly ritual and a norm. This statement is disgusting. He should sincerely apologize for saying this.

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi went to the extreme when he called for the temporal-arrest of a student who said he was the one who shut down the university. He was talking as a military ruler of a sovereign state. A lot happened in the 4 minutes video which if said will paint the colour of our nation black. His grammatical error towards the end of the drama did not go unnoticed, as he said “what course are you “DOING?”” . With this slight grammatical error one may choose to say he doesn’t know the value of education in the four-walls of a university.

On the whole, our government should watch this, they should watch the way they communicate their mind to their society, or they would trade their integrity for positions. Gov. Ajimobi has shown to us that our nation will continue to crawl if we refuse to tell and show them that we know our rights expressly. For a student to stay a month without academic activities is sardonic not to talk of a good 8 months, it’s bad. The destinies of this students are hanging on the line. Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and his counterpart in Osun state should do something about this issue ASAP, then we may find a way of forgiving him.

Israel Dara Sobaloju
07037954874
Curator, ScholarZine.com.ng