USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fw: Prof. Olukotun's Coluumn

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From: "Ayo Olukotun" <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>

To: "Ayo Olukotun" <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>, "Toyin Falola" <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>, "Orogun Olanike" <dam_nik@yahoo.com>, "Tunji Olaopa" <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>, "Niyi Akinnaso" <niyi.tlc@gmail.com>, "Toks X." <toksx@yahoo.com>, "Tade Aina" <tadeakinaina@yahoo.com>, "Toks Olaoluwa" <olaoluwatokunboh@gmail.com>, "Olatunji Ayanlaja" <t.ayanlaja@gmail.com>, "Ariyo Andrew Tobi" <tobaaan@yahoo.co.uk>, "Anthony Asiwaju" <tonyasiwaju@gmail.com>, "Tale Omole" <taleomole@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Tonia Simbine" <tsombe98@yahoo.com>, "Samson Ijaola" <topeijaola@yahoo.com>, "Tunde Oseni" <tundeoseni@gmail.com>, "Christina Olaoluwa" <tinabola@yahoo.com>, "Tunde Jaiyeoba" <tundejaiyeoba@yahoo.co.uk>, "Taiwo Asaolu" <twasaolu@yahoo.co.uk>, "Taiwo Owoeye" <sistertees@hotmail.com>, "Toyosi Ogunseye" <toyosi_ogunseye@yahoo.com>, "Prof Bayo Adekanye" <profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com>, "Kayode Soremekun" <paddykay2002@yahoo.com>, "Adigun Agbaje" <adigunagbaje@yahoo.com>, "Akinjide Osuntokun" <josuntokun@yahoo.com>, "Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso" <jumoyin@gmail.com>, "Femi_Osofisan Osofisan" <okinbalaunko@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Hassan Saliu" <hassansaliu2003@gmail.com>, "Ayo Banjo" <profayobanjo@yahoo.com>, "Richard A. Joseph" <r-joseph@northwestern.edu>, "Prof Osinbajo" <yemiosinbajo@yahoo.com>, "Oluwaniyi Osundare" <oosunda1@uno.edu>, "Prof. Segun Awonusi" <segunawo@yahoo.com>, "Paul Nwulu" <p.nwulu@fordfoundation.org>, "Prof Eghosa E. OSAGHAE" <osaghaeeghosa@yahoo.co.uk>, "Peter Ozo-Eson" <ozoesonpi@yahoo.com>, "Prof Akin Mabogunje" <akinmabo@gmail.com>, "Adebayo Olukoshi" <olukoshi@gmail.com>, "Prof. W.O. Alli" <alliwo@yahoo.co.uk>, "F&C Securities Limited" <fc@hyperia.com>, "Adetoun Adetona" <adetounadetona@googlemail.com>, "Hafsat Abiola" <hafsatabiola@hotmail.com>, "Adebayo" <adebayow@hotmail.com>, "Attahiru Jega" <attahirujega@yahoo.com>, "Ashobanjo" <ashobanjo@aol.com>, "David Atte" <david_atte@yahoo.com>, "Bolaji Akinyemi" <rotaben@gmail.com>, "Prof. Lere Amusan" <lereamusan@gmail.com>, "Remi Anifowose" <francoremy@yahoo.com>, "Mr Felix Adenaike" <felixadenaike@yahoo.com>, "Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina" <adesina1234@gmail.com>, "Emmanuel Remi Aiyede" <eaiyede@yahoo.com>, "Jadesany" <jadesany@yahoo.co.uk>, "Biodun Jeyifo" <bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu>, "Adele Jinadu" <lajinadu@yahoo.com>, "Richard A. Joseph" <richardjoseph65@gmail.com>, "Jide Ibietan" <jidebetan@gmail.com>, "Dr John Nnia Nwodo" <ijayho@yahoo.com>, "DrJibrin Ibrahim" <jibo72@yahoo.com>, "Dhikru Adewale Yagboyaju" <aswaj2003@yahoo.com>, "Idowu Olayinka" <aiolayinka@yahoo.com>, "Ayodeji Olukoju" <aolukoju2002@yahoo.com>, "Ayo Ojebode" <ayorindeojebode40@gmail.com>, "Yemi Ogunbiyi" <yemiogunbiyi@gmail.com>, "Innocent Chukwuma" <innocent.chukwuma@fordfoundation.org>, "IbrahimGambari" <ibrahim.gambari@gmail.com>, "Oye Ibidapo-Obe" <oibidapoobe@gmail.com>, "Noel Ihebuzor" <noel.ihebuzor@gmail.com>, "Michael Adeyeye" <madeyeye2002@yahoo.com>, "Michael Vickers" <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>, "Mohammed Haruna" <ndajika01@gmail.com>, "Obadiah Mailafia" <obmailafia@gmail.com>, "Bunmi Makinwa" <bunmimakinwa@hotmail.com>, "Grace Omoshaba" <gmso2002@yahoo.com>, "Femi Otubanjo" <mail@service.com>, "Mr. Kolade Mosuro" <kmosuro@aol.com>, "Ganiyu Go" <dr_golat@yahoo.com>, "Royal Gardens" <royalgardensnet@gmail.com>, "Segun Gbadegesin" <gbadeg2002@yahoo.com>, "Gbenga Dr. Owojaiye" <gbenjaiye@hotmail.com>, "Gaf Oye" <gafoye@gmail.com>, "Fred Goke" <fredgoke3@gmail.com>, "Bolaji Ogunseye" <erinje@yahoo.com>, "Esther Oluwaseun Idowu" <bethelidowu@gmail.com>, "Friday Okonofua" <feokonofua@yahoo.co.uk>, "Femi Babatunde" <ofemibabatunde@yahoo.com>, "Banji Oyeyinka" <boyeyinka@hotmail.com>, "Bankole Omotoso" <bankole.omotoso@gmail.com>, "Odia Ofeimun" <odia55@yahoo.com>, "Stella Olukotun" <stelbeyke@yahoo.com>, "Omatsola Edema" <charlieedema@yahoo.co.uk>, "Joseph E. Inikori" <jinikori@rochester.rr.com>, "Idowu Sobowale" <idowu_sobowale@yahoo.co.uk>, "InnocentChukwuma" <i.chukwuma@fordfoundation.org>, "Tunde Rahman" <tunderahmanu@yahoo.com>, "<Folashade Soneye" <folashadesoneye@gmail.com>, "Mimikofemi" <mimikofemi@yahoo.com>, "Ebunoluwa Oduwole" <ebunoduwole2k2@yahoo.com>, "odaadewunmi@gmail.com" <odaadewunmi@gmail.com>

Cc:

Sent: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 at 8:09

Subject: Re: Prof. Olukotun's Coluumn

Dear Ayo:

I didn't know about this!

Regards,

Richard

STUDENT UNIONISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IFE—"From Great Trek to Great Ife."

***

"By the second half of 1974, the fascist tendencies of the Gowon regime had reached a crescendo. Charges of corruption against government officials were rife. The government appeared morally disabled to take effective action against patently corrupt governors and commissioners who flaunted their wealth and power to the chagrin of the people. Courageous individuals and social reformers like Air Iyare of Benin and late Aper Aku were put in detention for exposing corruption and acts of repression. Amidst this, Gowon announced in October 1974 that the promise of return to civil rule in 1976 would no longer be kept. Responses to this development led to the arrest and detention of national figures such as Tai Solarin, Edwin Madunagu and other leaders of the Anti-Poverty Movement of Nigeria (APMON). With chains of authoritarian decrees around their necks, the labour Unions were unable to offer any coordinated response of [sic] these measures. The campuses of higher institutions became the only vents for democratic dissent and opposition. The critical-radical moment of student consciousness surged to the fore. The [University of] Ife students made their most memorable intervention in national politics at this time. Under the leadership of Mr. Ayo Olukotun, the students issued an ultimatum to the government to release all detainees. This was accompanied by a ten-point memorandum and a threat to march to Dodan Barracks (seat of the Federal Government) in Lagos about 200 kilometers from Ife to dramatise their demands. Government's reaction was swift and draconian. It dared the students at the pain of death to come to Lagos. On the night before the "Great Trek" was to commence, it was alleged that the Scripture Union (a Christian group on campus) frightened everyone with the news of a "vision" of bloodshed at the University gate. This caused a nocturnal exodus of students from the campus. Armed police ambushes were stationed on the Ife-Lagos highway. A combat-ready detachment was waiting on the outskirts of Lagos. All public transport vehicles on the Ife-Ibadan-Lagos route were halted and searched, and anyone suspected to be a student was arrested and sent to detention. The University of Ife as well as those of Ibadan and Lagos were subsequently shut for nine weeks. 

Although the march never took place, the conception and mobilisation for it as well as the extensive media coverage it received raised the name of Ife to the summit of students' radicalism. From this event derived the militant sobriquet of "Great Ife" which has become a mobilisation slogan for students ever since then."

SOURCE:—G.G. Darah and 'Femi Taiwo 'Students' Unionism' in O. Omosini & B. Adediran (eds.) GREAT IFE: A History of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife (1962-1987) (Ile-Ife: OA University Press Ltd., 1989) 225-226.

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