HD INTERVIEW SESSION: POLITICS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

HoneyDrops: First of all, let me thank you for doing this. Can we get to meet Oluwaferanmi Adebowale Adebowale?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: I’m Oluwaferanmi Adebowale Adebowale. A student of The University of Ibadan. I’m an Agripreneur and a Volunteer. I’m a Student leader. The pleasure is all mine.

HoneyDrops: It’s great to meet you. As a student at the University of Ibadan, aside from studying, do you engage in other activities?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Yes, I do. I engage in Politics and volunteerism.

HoneyDrops: Please, tell us about your journey as a politician on campus.

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: I started observing and taking part in politics right from my first year on campus. But actively (in office), in my second year.

HoneyDrops: So, what position do you currently occupy?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: I’m presently the President of, the Faculty of Science Student Association (FASSA).

HoneyDrops: How’s your journey in politics been?

Did your parents influence your decision to partake in politics? Were they against it? Or did they support you from the get-go?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: I decided to make it. Even when they heard of it, they weren’t against it.

HoneyDrops: That sounds incredible.

Since you became a politician, what challenges have you faced on the journey? How did you overcome them?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Quite a lot. Challenges like 

• Separating right from wrong.
• Separating your wants from the wants of the people you represent.
• Time management
• Power clashing

And many more that time might have taken away.

HoneyDrops: Politics in Nigerian Universities is time-consuming. How do you manage your time while combining politics and your studies? You mentioned that you are into volunteering. How did you cope with all of these?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: As a mathematics student, I got lost in balancing the equation of all that. The best part is that knowledge was gained, and the experience is now there.

HoneyDrops: How does the Union cope with managing Student welfare and the school’s authority especially when the body language of the school’s authority and what the students want are different? 

How does the union find a balance?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Student welfare is the Student Union’s utmost priority. This is the same for the school’s management. The only thing with the school is that it is subject to its own interests and those of the Federal government, which means there are bound to be clashes.

Now, when it sets in, the school management should be understanding and patient. Also, the Student Union will be responsible enough to understand and relate the possible problem to both bodies (the School management and Student). This is to find common ground.

In the process of finding balance, the union engages in the three Cs

• Consulting
• Consolidation
• Confrontation

Based on my understanding, the Student union engages both bodies to know and understand what the problem is. That is Consulting.

After understanding where the problem is coming from, the Union then tries her best to make the two bodies understand their misunderstanding and engage them in finding common ground. That is Consolidation.

Confrontation is the last resort. It is mostly engaged by the students; who are at the receiving end.

This is done when all options have been exhausted by the Union in letting the University authority understand the student’s point of view and agree to the reality of the matter. This exercise comes in the form of PROTEST. Protests have different forms.

Sometimes, students don’t have an option when pushed to the wall. It is the responsibility of the Student Union President to determine if they are at the wall.

HoneyDrops: We hope it doesn’t get to this. Student Unions in Nigeria have come a long way. Still, there’s more to be done. Over the years, there seems to have been a reduction in campus clashes between the school authority and students, which is commendable.

How does unionism work generally in Nigeria outside of individual campuses, especially on issues that affect the students in the country, the incessant Asuu strikes? Also, is there a general union? How do they weigh in?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Students in Nigeria are generally represented by NANS.

The body isn’t respected by most Nigerian students. They believe it’s just about power struggles and fund embezzlement. Believe me, if the student national body can operate IDEALLY, nearly no force can stop them, and they will get things done quite well.

HoneyDrops: We hope to see that; the recent happenings with the body don’t even help the public’s trust.

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Yes

Honeydrops: Any advice for students who want to participate in Politics in Nigerian Universities?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Politics in tertiary institutions is an amazing platform to start building yourself. You are participating in the decision-making of your immediate environment. So, don’t be afraid to get involved.

Second, you get to discover your view or ideology about Politics. Actively participate and get to the level of having a say at the table.

Politics and Academy; Business and Marriage The important thing is Time Management.

The tertiary institution serves as a testing ground.

In conclusion, balancing various activities on campus is your responsibility. Manage it well and don’t lose focus.

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HoneyDrops: Great one. You are about to graduate. Do you hope to continue in politics? Or should we be on the lookout for you?

Oluwaferanmi Adebowale: Even though this system of politics is different from the ones I admire, I just know that one way or another I will continue to participate in the politics of my society, actively if need be.

HoneyDrops: This was a long but very interesting interview. Thanks a lot for doing this, Feranmi

Please, leave a comment if you enjoyed this interview. Do you have questions about Politics in Nigerian Universities? Leave a comment, and Oluwaferanmi will respond.

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