Professor Chukwuemeka Vincent is a member of the Nigerian writer’s fraternity, who is not celebrated. In his narratives, he records odd occurrences in a special fictional form. He always keeps his readers in a terrible suspense while reading any of his works. The Naked Gods (1970), is his second novel. The book is about a wag tale of a disturbing tussle at the Songhai University over the post of the Vice-Chancellor in a rural community in post-independent Nigeria. A group of very dedicated scholars and scientists determined to protect the ideals of a university system which Songhai symbolizes, confronted a professor and his followers at the same institution whom they accused of betraying his scholarly calling.
Unreason/superstition and science/reason in a brutal combat, the outcome is the destruction of the fame and value of the Songhai University. Reason and science will always triumph. In 1999, Peter F. Hamitton, the famous British Science fiction writer came out with the same title with that of the Nigerian Professor Ike’s novel, The Naked Gods, though the themes and setting are different from each other. Hamilton’s book centres on space, its “mysteries” and its crisis.
Ike’s The Naked Gods bears some striking similarity to the irrationality of a Professor Shuaib Oba AbdulRAheem’s tenure as the vice-chancellor of the University of Illorin (Unillorin), Kwara State. In February 2001, the University’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) had gone on strike, calling for amelioration in their poor condition of service. Oba turned his stone- deafed ears to the hue and cry of his academic team. The protest lingered on until April of that year when ASUU at the national level started a nation-wide strike, and the apex teachers’ body refused to go to the classrooms to teach their students, all over the country’s government controlled schools. The universities were evacuated and closed down. From local to nationwide strike, Unillorin ASUU joined their colleagues from other schools to agitate too.
Professor Oba AbdulRaheem like his soulmate(s) at Songhai University of Chukwuemeka Ike’s world resorted to threats, blackmail and other uncivilized behaviour while waging his jihad (holy war) against the Unillorin lecturers who embarked on the strike. In May 2001, he ordered all striking academic staff of the institution to return to work or face disciplinary action. At the school he opened a register for all returning staff members to sign. The faint-hearted ones betrayed their colleagues and returned to work without their demands met, and signed the Oba’s register. The courageous ones now dubbed “Illorin 49” refused and remained at the barricade, Oba, the Jihadist humiliated them and thereafter, sacked them.
The lecturers sacked in 2001 by the Naked Gods of Illorin including professor E. O.O. Adelowo (Surgery) and foundation dean of the college of Health Sciences at the Unillorin, B. T. Olufeagba (Electrical Engineering), A. Shittu-Agbetola (Religion); J. E. Adegbija (now dead) (Modern European Languages); A. Anjorin (Pathology); A. E. Annor (now dead) (Geology); Bisi Ogunsina (Linguistics); Akanji Nasiru (Performing Arts); S. O. Oduley (Bio Logical Sciences). The other 40 are PhD and Non-PhD Holders. The Illorin 49 are the real heroes of the struggle for academic freedom, heroes of the peoples struggle for fundamental freedom and human rights. Though, they have suffered monstrous indignity in the hands of the Oba, they are the real heroes of our struggle for a better tomorrow. So far, three of the sacked lecturers have died, may their innocent blood continue to hunt their tormentor(s) until justice is won. Professor Shuaib Oba Abdul Raheem’s terror reigned in the University of Illorin from 1997-2002. The school was established in August 1975 through a military decree. Apart from the ordeals of the lecturers, a lot of radical and progressive student activists were either rusticated or expelled under the administration of Oba.
On July 26, 2005, a Federal High Court sitting in Illorin, Kwara State ruled in favour of the affected lecturers and called for their reinstatement, but General Obasanjo asked the vice-chancellor not to obey the order. In the case of Unillorin 49, the government, apart from its contemptuous behaviour to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, it also dishonored the non-victimization agreement clause of the FGN-ASUU Agreement of June 30, 2001. For causing so much anguish to his colleagues at Unillorin, some of whom are his supervisors in career and age, General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, later rewarded Oba with a national award of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). What that means, I don’t want to know, but it is one of those trophies, rulers of the Nigerian state use in decorating their friends, allies and loyalists.
Since ASUU couldn’t force the heedless emperor Obasanjo to turn his garment and listen to their simple request, they should pick up the challenge with the Yar’Adua/Jonathan’s government which I am aware they are doing but they need to re-double their effort. The recent Supreme Court decision to reinstate the mistreated Illorin teachers is a victory of good over evil men and women. One of the earlier professions that cut my attention, before journalism was teaching, teachers whether at primary, secondary or at territory level years ago were highly respected sets of people. The teachers themselves were also well disciplined, even their children and students were. These virtues, not naira and kobo attracted a whole lot of folks to flock to into the profession.
General Obasanjo took power after the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed on February 13, 1976 as head of state, while General Shehu Yar Adua was the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters then Dodan Barracks, Lagos. His Federal Commissioner of Education, Colonel Ahmadu Ali, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had initiated a bad education policy by approving that each undergraduate student should pay N378.00 for feeding and N70.00 for lodging per session. The junta and its relevant agencies like the National University Commission (NUC) approved the decision. This sparked a nationwide protest which resulted in the death of several students. The then National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) led by Segun Okeowo as president, Olufagba and Nick Fadugba, General-Secretary and publicity secretary respectively coordinated the patriotic action. On August 25, 1978, Obasanjo junta made public a white paper on the justice Mohammed commission of inquiry into the student protests which climaxed into “The Ali Must GO” campaign. The dictatorship sacked Professor Jacob Ade Ajayi and Iya Abubakar, Vice-chancellor of the University of Logos And Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria respectively. Progressive staff members of some Universities across the country who were sympathetic to the student movement were also dismissed from service. They are Dr. Wale Adeniran, Dr. Bade Onimode, Dr. Akin Ojo (that brilliant physicist), the late Dr. Omafume Onoge and the late comrade Ola Oni, a man who surrendered all his life for the struggle of the Nigeria peoples, but died of maximum hardship. They were all of the University of Ibadan.
The late Dr. O. P. Sogbetun of the University of Lagos, comrade Laoye Sanda of the polytechnic in Ibadan, Oyo state, Mr. Ebenezer Babatope of University of Lagos, Dr. Edwin Madunagu and his wife Dr. Bebedicta Madunagu of University of Calabar, were fired too. Even comrade Bassey Ekpo Bassey, a veteran journalist with the Chronicle, who was merely chronicling the tragic happening of the era, was also sacked for doing his job. Ekpo is now one of the Obongs of Calabar.
NUN’s president, Segun Okeowo was expelled from the University of Lagos after spending 43 days in Ikoyi prisons. He had to spend extra years later at University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to become a graduate. Mr Appah of the University of Calabar was also sacked with the Madunagus. Not only dismissing them, he sent out letters to all institutions, parastatals and agencies in Nigeria that any of the affected persons should not be considered for any appointment. Early in 1979, Dr. Benedicta Madunagu was given an appointment, but when Obasanjo and the late YarAdua heard this, they threatened the rector of the College of education in Uyo, and the poor woman’s appointment was stopped. Dr. Onoge was given appointment as a Professor of Sociology by the University of Dar-E-Salaam, the government refused to allow him, to travel to pick up the appointment. Even late comrade Gani Fawehinmi, the irrepressible Lagos activist and lawyer fought fearlessly alongside ASUU and other activists; Gani was later jailed for 8 days by Obasanjo. Babatope, one of the victims of unguarded militarism, documented this clearly in such his wonderful memoir, Student Power in Nigeria (1956-1980) (1991).
Borrowing a leaf from emperor Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida during his reign as a “military President” employed more mischievous means of destroying the nation’s academic institution. He banned and un-banned student’s movement, progressive formations in and outside the campuses, corrupted student activists, leaders and lecturers. At the University of Benin, Edo State in the 1908s, professor Alele Williams acting on Babangida’s order attempted to humiliate Dr. Festus Iyayi, the talented intellectual and his colleagues under the aegis of ASUU. Today, our academic institutions are no longer the hubs of science, reason and innovations they were noted for, but are mere midpoints of sex, malpractices, intimidation, right-wing religiosity, superstition, violence and charms; sad! The deterioration of our ivory towers to mere centers of dispensing certificates is the handiwork of some senseless and knowledge-shy persons in the corridors of power, past or presents administrations. What an appalling end of an era and the beginning of the end.
Naagbanton writes from Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria
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