Solidarity greetings from the Stakeholders Forum of Non-Indigenous Students in Oyo State.
With all sincerity and a deep sense of responsibility, we wish to acknowledge and appreciate the commitment, goodwill and support that His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, has demonstrated towards the students’ community in the State over the years.
We make this statement not out of hatred, political opposition or a desire to discredit the Governor. On the contrary, we believe that His Excellency is a compassionate leader who genuinely desires progress, development and improved welfare for the people of Oyo State, including students and young people.
However, we must distinguish between the personality and intentions of the Governor and the manner in which some of his policies, interventions and directives are being handled by those entrusted with responsibilities concerning the students’ community.
For more than six years, stakeholders across the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students’ communities have maintained considerable restraint and decorum, largely because of our respect for His Excellency and our appreciation of the support his administration has extended to students.
But silence should not be mistaken for satisfaction.
OUR CONCERNS
Over the years, there has been a growing feeling among several student leaders and stakeholders that access to opportunities and interventions meant for the wider students’ community has not always been handled in an inclusive, transparent and equitable manner.
We acknowledge that there have been various forms of support from the Governor’s administration. However, our concern is that some of these interventions do not appear to be reaching the broad spectrum of student leaders and stakeholders who have contributed to the development, mobilisation and stability of the students’ community in the State.
One of the issues frequently raised by student leaders concerns the stipends reportedly provided to some union leaders. We have been informed that amounts such as ₦20,000 have at various times been paid directly to SUG Presidents through the office of the SSA on Students’ Affairs. We believe that any such arrangement should be transparent, properly documented and accessible to all legitimate stakeholders who are entitled to such support.
Our concern is not merely about the amount involved. It is about fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and the principle guiding the distribution of government support.
OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE GOVERNMENT
We also wish to remind the public that the students’ community played an active role during the political mobilisation and electoral processes that produced the Governor’s first and second terms.
Many student leaders and stakeholders participated actively in the Omituntun 1.0 and Omituntun 2.0 campaigns and worked within their respective institutions and communities to mobilise support.
On election days, many of us were present at our respective polling units, campuses and communities, contributing within the limits of the law and our civic responsibilities.
We did this because we believed in the Governor and in the vision of a better Oyo State.
We therefore find it painful that, several years into the administration, many of those who consistently stood with the government within the students’ community feel completely excluded from opportunities and interventions associated with the same administration.
THE ISSUE OF REPRESENTATION
One of the major areas of concern is the perception that disagreements between some stakeholders and the office responsible for students’ affairs have resulted in the exclusion of certain individuals and groups from government opportunities.
We respectfully submit that government interventions should not be used as instruments of reward or punishment based on personal relationships, political alignment or disagreements among stakeholders.
Where there are legitimate disagreements over leadership, appointments or representation within the students’ community, such matters should be resolved through consultation, fairness and established democratic processes.
The students’ community is diverse. It consists of Indigenous students, Non-Indigenous students, SUG leaders, NANS/NAPS structures, student organisations, youth stakeholders and numerous other legitimate actors.
No single office or individual should be allowed to create the impression that access to government support depends exclusively on personal alignment.
THE ELECTRIC BIKES AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS
We equally acknowledge the recent intervention of His Excellency in providing electric bikes for the students’ community.
We appreciate the gesture and recognise it as another indication that the Governor is interested in improving the welfare and mobility of students.
However, we are concerned about the manner in which beneficiaries are selected.
Many stakeholders who have consistently supported the government and contributed significantly to mobilisation and engagement within the students’ community have expressed disappointment that they were not considered in the distribution.
Our position is simple:
Government interventions should unite the students’ community, not divide it.
They should be administered through clear and transparent criteria so that no legitimate stakeholder feels deliberately excluded because of personal disagreements with an appointed government official.
THE ISSUE OF THE JCC LEADERSHIP
We also wish to draw attention to concerns surrounding the selection and management of leadership within the students’ community, particularly the issue of the JCC Chairmanship.
Some stakeholders previously expressed reservations concerning the emergence and political background of certain individuals who were considered for leadership positions. Those concerns, according to stakeholders, were communicated at the time.
Unfortunately, the situation has subsequently generated disagreements and public exchanges that have not been beneficial to the image of the government or the students’ community.
It is therefore important that government officials entrusted with students’ affairs carefully consider the consequences of the individuals and structures they support or recognise.
Leadership appointments should be based on credibility, capacity, inclusiveness and the broader interests of students—not personal loyalty or political calculations.
OUR MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY
We want to make it categorically clear that this statement is not an attack on Engr. Seyi Makinde.
We do not consider His Excellency a bad Governor.
Indeed, we recognise his contributions to Oyo State and his efforts towards improving infrastructure, education, youth development and the general welfare of residents.
Our concern is that the manner in which the students’ community is being managed by those entrusted with that responsibility may not accurately reflect the good intentions of the Governor.
We therefore respectfully call on His Excellency to look beyond reports presented to him by officials and stakeholders and undertake an independent review of the management of students’ affairs over the past several years.
Let there be an opportunity for the various student stakeholders—including Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students—to present their experiences directly.
Let the records of government interventions be reviewed.
Let the criteria for selecting beneficiaries be examined.
Let the processes surrounding student leadership recognition and government engagement be assessed.
And most importantly, let every legitimate stakeholder be given a fair opportunity to be heard.
A CALL FOR FAIRNESS AND INCLUSIVENESS
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for fair treatment.
We are not demanding that every student leader must receive government appointments or personal benefits.
We are asking that government opportunities and interventions should be administered transparently and without discrimination.
We believe that the Governor deserves an honest account of what is happening within the students’ community.
The loyalty of students and youth stakeholders should not be measured by their willingness to remain silent when they experience unfairness.
True loyalty sometimes requires speaking up respectfully when something appears to be going wrong.
CONCLUSION
His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has built a reputation that should not be undermined by avoidable grievances arising from the management of the students’ community.
We therefore urge the Governor to review the activities of the office responsible for Students’ Affairs, investigate the concerns raised by stakeholders, and ensure that future interventions are distributed transparently, fairly and inclusively.
We remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State.
We remain committed to the students’ community.
And we remain willing to work with the government whenever the interests of students and the people of Oyo State are genuinely prioritised.
Our message is simple: We appreciate the Governor, but we respectfully demand fairness in the management of students’ affairs.
Oyo State belongs to all of us, and the students’ community deserves an inclusive system where every legitimate stakeholder has a voice and a fair opportunity to contribute.
Signed:
Olanrewaju Segun babatunde. (JP)
Stakeholders Chairman
08072731625
08023253643
Oladoja Mubaraq I
(MegaByte)
Public Relations Officer
08163506769/08164569601
Stakeholders Forum of Non-Indigenous Students in Oyo State
