From Congress to Protest: Students Union set to begin Peaceful Demonstrations over the New Transport System
At exactly 5:46 p.m. on Monday 27 April, the atmosphere of the emergency Congress held at the Awo Hall Cafe was quite intense, following the opening prayer by Congressman Velocity and Longman, and an apology from the Union President for starting slightly behind schedule.
This was immediately followed by a poignant moment of silence for a recently deceased Part 4 student of the College of Health Sciences, the focus then shifted rapidly to the living and the hardship students now forcefully endure daily, as a result of the new transport system.
Although there were mentions of the current Awo Hall evacuation crisis and the death of the medical student formerly mentioned, the central theme of the Congress was the transition from a boycott to a demonstration. Congressman Tolu suggested a peaceful protest for Tuesday morning, to compel the management to take student demands seriously.
The Union President, while supporting the move, issued a stern caveat: “the struggle must remain intellectual and non-violent, on no account should there be a vandalisation of property or disruption of peace from the student," he warned, emphasizing that the moral high ground is the Union's greatest asset.
While the motion for a protest was moved at 6 p.m., the "how" and "when" sparked an immediate uproar, the president's proposed route moving from Aluta Square to the Road 1 Gate and back to the Senate Building, was met with loud disapproval, as several students argued that returning to the Senate Building was a redundant exercise in going in circles.
The real tension, however, lay in the timing, a wave of "immediate action" sentiment swept through the hall, some students moved for the demonstration to begin immediately (Monday night), while others raised strategic concerns, fearing that waiting until morning may give the university management enough time to neutralize the protest plans overnight.
The President’s push for 6 a.m. on Tuesday was initially rejected by students demanding immediate mobilization. However, a middle ground was found through a motion by Comrade Akinlapa.
The resolution reached is a two-phase approach: Monday night will be dedicated to a "peaceful sensitization" across all halls of residence to ensure total student alignment, while the full-scale demonstration is then set to officially kick off at the break of dawn on Tuesday.
The motion to adopt this plan was moved by congressman Ejike Kelechi and seconded by Congressman Damilare. With the path set forward, the Congress was adjourned at exactly 6:40 p.m. after a motion moved by congressman Mayowa and seconded by congressman SK, leaving the campus in a state of watchful anticipation.
As the students dispersed into the night to begin their sensitization walks from the Awo Hall of residence to every other Hall of residence including PG Hall. The message was clear: Tuesday morning will not be business as usual at Great Ife.
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