My journey into student unionism

By Mubarak Shafiu

I joined the train of the Students’ Union right from day one at the university. My painstaking journey to the world of student activism has also fed me with sour, bitter and sweet experiences. Often, I feel nostalgic about the onerous struggles we underwent and the myriad of obstacles we encountered.

Being a passionate advocate for good governance, leadership and democracy, I was overwhelmingly compelled by nature to partake in the diversity-politics. My participation is solely to add my own quota and refine the university’s political atmosphere.

It is indeed sad seeing incompetent, incapable, self-centred and unpatriotic students take the leadership mantle and run the affairs of this vast student body.

Though my fundamental assignment is to study, acquire knowledge, experience, and skills, more importantly, earn my degree with colourful grades. Yet, I developed a burning desire to involve in the school’s extracurricular activities, more precisely- politics, intending to make sustainable reformation.

As a freshman, my initial preoccupation was to study and adequately understand my new environment. Being well-informed would assist me tremendously in making better decisions as events unfold.

Along the process, on many occasions, my parents called me to order and cautioned me to be steadfastly focused on my studies and not mingle with bad company. These cautionary words always crossed my mind, and I decided to keep myself away from anything that could interfere with my study.

Since then, I shunned anything apart from my study as the drumbeat of my parents’ cautionary remarks sounded louder and louder into my eardrums. This made my ambition of becoming a student leader a pipe dream, for naturally, I disliked betraying the parental confidence reposed in me.

As an obedient child, who always wanted to please his parents, I had never turned down every admonition. I just dispelled and dismissed anything that had nothing to do with my study. I attended classes, dug into research, engaged in group discussions and made the library my best friend. 

As the exam approached, I became consistent, determined and accelerated my efforts towards achieving my goal. Expectedly. I passed out with flying colours in my first-semester examination, as I made an “A” in the overall result.

Out of sheer joy, I presented the result to my parents to bless it, as they had been nursing the dream of seeing their son become a champion. 

After a short break from the first-semester examination, we all returned to our dear University, and academic and social activities began fully.

Students from various departments and faculties started expressing their interests in different positions, especially in the “Students’  Union Government” (SUG) and other associations like departmental, faculty and state associations.

Being sceptical and scared of my parent’s stance on not getting involved in school politics, I let my intention be latent and inexpressible. I was only debating whether to seek my dear parents’ approval.

Seeing how time flew, I just took the bull by the horn, shook off my phobia and sought permission to contest for a position that would not be infectious to my study.

 Surprisingly, my parents gave me the go-ahead to participate on the condition that I should not interfere with my academic performance. Having heard of this had gladdened my heart and brightened my spirit. 

Long story short, I vied for a senator representing my department in the “Students’ Representative Assembly (S.R.A), and I effortlessly made it. This assembly shared some things in common with the “National Assembly regarding greatness, corruption, unaccountability and many more.

Millions of funds were annually poured into the students’ union government account.

However, these funds were being mismanaged, misappropriated and stolen in collaboration with representatives of various departments.

The brainlessness and wickedness of the so-called student leaders tremendously moved me. This compelled me to resign and distance myself from the system. I recently retired from S.U.G to my state association, “The National Association of Kano State Students”. But you guess what? The Story was the same or even worse than that of S.U.G.

I contested for the presidential position under the bona fide umbrella of the association, and I won the election by a wider margin. To my dismay, under the watchful eyes of the students, some unscrupulous folks rubbed, snatched and ran with my mandate to one’s advantage.

Sadly, these corrupt individuals are the so-called leaders of tomorrow. Imagine an institution like a university where learning, character and discipline are inculcated. The university management should force such student-leaders to face punishment to deter others.

If we have not changed ourselves into better persons, we will continue to produce bad leaders in the country. Let’s desist from insulting, cursing, and condemning our leaders at all levels.

“Change begins with me”…….

Mubarak Shafiu wrote via mubarakshafiu596@gmail.com.