The west Africa Student Union which was founded in London by Ladipo Solanke in 1925 has been very much instrumental in promoting nationalism which brought about rapid independence in the west Africa Sub-region. The effort of Solanke and others officials such as Awolowo, Nkrumah, Azikiwe and other renown activists deserves the loudest of applause and recommendations. It was the unalloyed resolution of these distinguished unionist which equally matched with the stubborn resolve of the colonialists that finally defeated the colonialist and gallantly brought about the string of independence in the sub – region. Indeed this is a unionism per excellence that is unequal any where in the world. Even before the independence, the union has been the force behind the major c hanges in administrative and economic matters reluctantly introduced by the colonial authorities under massive pressure.

Even after independence, student unions formed have continued with the pressure group characteristic of their predecessor and sometime resolving to militaristic ploy in an attempt to achieve their agitation, which were mostly in the interest of Nigerians. The Unions seemed more militaristic in their demands during the military rules. During this period, student unions have to be militaristic in their activities in order to attend a relative equal footing with the military in order to press home their demands. We are all witnesses to the stories of union officials touring the country in total disguise sometimes under the cover the night trying to canvass for support and understanding among Nigerians in order to leave up to their responsibilities to the Nigerian student. Sometimes, the campaign h as been tough. Union officials have been beaten and jailed. More gallantly, they sometimes engage in fierce battle with security personnel. Indeed, ‘gallant’ unionists are known to have lost their lives in such battles with the authorities over their rights. A very pertinent example of such killing by the authorities of student union officials was during the students’ protest of 1978 when students protested over the issue of the quality and quantity of meal they were being given at school. During that incidence, government bullets to silence them killed several unionists and students. Truly, these ‘fallen heroes’ are indeed an embodiment of student unionists who fought and died on the alter of serving their fellow students.

Therefore it stand to reason that, the importance of student union cannot be under estimated and that the inherent sensitivity of the union is indeed an effective ‘weapon’ in the hands of the Nigeria students who have no any other ‘weapon’ to fight the over bearing government, to use it effectively ‘against’ the government to press home their genuine demands.

Today however, the discouraging story of studies unions in Nigeria is that of whatever discouragement one could ever thing of in their wildest imagination. Looking at the environment, they rarely exist and where may be existing, they do so in what I would want to call a “continuous vegetative existence” in which their existences is akin to nominal existence. Therefore, what remains of student unionism in Nigeria, is that of its final interment to rest in peace. A troublesome “peace” before members meet to seek judgment for all the deceit they have suffered from the hands of their selfish officials. Or ,how else could one describe a situation where the very officials who should be the vanguard of the Nigerian students in achieving their common objectives have actually turne d out to be actively colluding with irresponsible authorities in order to cheat on the very people who have given them the mandate to represent them. It is even more damning to note the student leaders across the country are hopelessly tied to the apron string of their governments so that their actions and activities are in line with the dictates of the government, however, detrimental or destructive it could be to the student and the education sector in general. It follows that their various government systematically muzzles student unions so much so that a student could complete his/her degree programme without even knowing the name of the unions’ leader in the school. This relative anomalous it seems,  out of the fact that unions leader no longer know their responsibilities. It is sometimes ridiculous that student unions leaders don’t even know the constitution of the very institution they are steering its affairs.

I often sometimes sit down and think as to what really motivate these student unions officials choose to represent their fellow students. Unfortunately though the truth, its corruption. There has hardly been a student unions that has successfully completed its tenure in office with an allegation of corruption being rebelled against them. It happens that almost all the student unions in this country were forced out of office earlier than they should due to corrupt practices. Of all the student unions bodies across the country, the so – called student unions government or SUG seems to be the most irresponsible and corrupt of all. The unions, its infinite tendencies of corrupt practices, has actually transmuted it self from its original responsibilities of promoting and prote cting the interest of the Nigerian student to that of ‘money making ventrie’. The body has continued to unnecessarily exploit and over burden the poor students it claims to protect. It therefore became an established tradition with the body for every tertiary students across the country to pay a mandatory dues whose proposes no body knows for certain and which has over the years accumulated into hundreds of millions of Naira. To what use have these money being put into and of what significant importance has the unions been to the Nigeria student for all the while that it came around, is a question that would remain unanswered till the cows come home. The best the unions can do, it seems, is attendance of unnecessary and irrelevant conferences across the country and a pretext visitation to politicians in anticipation of “brown envelopes”.

In a typical demonstration of corruption a irresponsibility by one of the branches of this “conduit of deceits”, the university of Maiduguri branch of the SUG in one of its recent sittings in the campus, had to shamelessly conduct its routine in a dark ‘parliament’ building dimly lit with a dozen of candle while its so called shameless officials were preoccupied with the watt of mosquitoes through out the seating. The reason is this: there was a fault in the internal electricity wire and was not fixed hence power into the is said to have be building supply was obstructed and even the candle used was borrowed from a shop.

Surely, student unions bodies irrespective of which, are a conduit of corruption through which future leaders learn the rules of the game. And in today's Nigeria, they are absolute irrelevant and of all the irresponsible student union bodies across the country, the so – called Student Union Government or SUG seems to be the most irresponsible and corrupt of all. The body, in its infinite corrupt tendencies, has actually transmuted itself forms its responsibilities of promoting and protecting the interesting of the Nigerians student to that of “money making venture”. It has continued to unnecessarily exploit and overburden the same student it claims to protect. It therefore became a tradition with the union for every student across the country to pay a mandatory due which ove r the years have actually run into millions of hundreds of Naira. More frustrating and sickening is the fact that these millions are never accounted for.                         

Abba Yusuf,

Department of Mass Communication,

University of Maiduguri.

Maiduguri,