Last week, a video of the confrontation between Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and protesting students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, went viral on various social media platforms.
In the video, Ajimobi was shown pouring invectives on the students for daring to disrespect ‘constituted authority’.
The students were protesting the closure of LAUTECH, jointly owned by the Oyo and Osun state governments, for more than eight months, thus putting their educational pursuit in jeopardy.
In the course of his address, the governor was said to have been interrupted by the students, an action which angered the governor and led to him goading them to violence and threatening them to do their worst.
In the video, Governor Ajimobi said, “You complain (sic) your school is shut since eight months. Am I the person who closed your school?” The question attracted a rancorous response from the students.
Angered by the students’ response, the governor fired back, “If that is how you want to talk to me, then go and do your worst. If you want to be troublesome, I dare you. I’m ready for you. Let’s see what happens then. “Some of you should have little respect for constituted authority, no matter what.”
He added, “What course are you doing? Are you saying that to me? Se student ni iwo yi? (Are you a student?) Beeni, iwo (Yes, you). Bring the boy for me. Ok, if this is how you are going to answer me, I am not gonna talk to you. E lo se ife inu yin (Go and do your worst).
“This government will not tolerate nonsense from anybody. Your management, government and other governments lack fund. Se emi lo ti school yin ni? (Am I the one who closed your school?)” Since that confrontation between ‘constituted authority’ and the protesting students, it has generated diverse opinions among Nigerians, with most commentators faulting Governor Ajimobi for responding the way he did.
In recent times, LAUTECH has been bedevilled by a myriad of problems, which appears to have defied all solutions. The citadel of learning had been closed for over eight months. Dissatisfied with the situation, the students decided to take their grievances to the governor, who they presumed could facilitate the re-opening of their institution.
The agitation was mild, save for the rancorous shouts of ‘No, No, No’ from the students. However, while we do not support any display of unruly behaviour by supposed leaders of tomorrow, the utterances and reaction of the governor on the day was unbecoming of an elected leader and leaves much to be desired.
In a situation where a slight provocation could turn the protest into a very unruly one and lead to total breakdown of law and order, with possible loss of lives should the security operatives also fail to manage it well, the governor could have employed a better crisis management style.
While we do not support any display of unruly behaviour by supposed leaders of tomorrow, the utterances and reaction of the governor on the day was unbecoming of an elected leader and leaves much to be desired
Rather, from his grammatical infelicities to his body language, Governor Ajimobi got it wrong. He failed to manage the crisis well. And for the first time, his utterances seemed to disprove the claim in certain quarters that Yoruba leaders are highly diplomatic.
In fact, even the late Lamidi Adedibu, popularly known as ‘Orisa Molete’ would have done better, if he were to be alive and confronted by the same scenario. Ajimobi could not understand or tolerate the ‘insult’ of garrulous students protesting before his Excellency, instead of begging a ‘constituted authority’.
Perhaps, the students were unaware that they were standing before the Executive Governor of Oyo State and not a local government chairman.
In this instance, Ajimobi clearly failed where he ought to have succeeded in explaining issues to the students and making them see reason for the continued closure of the institution.
To be sure, what the governor witnessed on the day was just a tip of the iceberg of what Vice Chancellors of universities across the country had faced, at one time or the other, during students’ protests.
As they say, two wrongs do not make a right. We are of the opinion that no matter how unruly the students were, the governor, as a leader at that level of government should not have lost his cool, thereby exposing himself to the kind of ridicule and opprobrium his action and utterances seem to have brought upon him.
Elected officials need not be told that they hold their positions because of the electorate. And that it is the people, including students, who constituted the ‘constituted authorities’ in positions of trust.
The earlier elected officials in the corridors of power stop seeing the citizenry as pawns and realise that power resides with the people, the better.
