Written by Jagunmolu Oluwadare Lasisi:
MY JOURNEY SO FAR.....My Autobiography.
(In Memory of Mama Gani, celebrating her birthday on Dec 19th).
My late sweet mother volunteered to follow me to Ilorin to face the university panel.We both travelled from Abeokuta to Ilorin.My mother prayed for me to have a pardon at the end of the whole drama and advised me to keep away from campus wahala and never to write what she termed 'IKOKUKO' again.
When we arrived Ilorin township around 6.30 pm,we went straight to the residence of Mr Dare who was my guardian and a university staff.The old man already recieved the copy of my expulsion letter and was very angry with me and my mother. He called me many unprintable names.I accepted everything because I was helpless.
"Your son's nickname on campus is Gani Radical! What's the meaning of Gani Radical? Now he has been expelled from the university and my hands are tied to appeal to the university authority to pardon him."
My sweet mother was begging him to calm down..."Sorry Sir,Gani is your son and he must be pardoned to graduate from the university.We spent so much money on him to attend a university.Please help us Sir." Mama Gani was crying like a baby.I joined her in the wailing because I cherished her.
A medical student then(Dr Olumuyiwa Omotesho)provided us a free accomodation in his room plus good food.He also borrowed me his tie and assisted me to iron my shirt because I was asked to dress smartly to face the panel.
On the day of the panel,well-armed police officers and some soldiers on campus with many undercover security officers.It was a big pandemonium.I was treated like a common criminal. As I arrived the Senate chamber, all eyes were on me as my legs wobbled to walk.Mama Gani gave me courage never to listen to them.
"That's the Gani Radical, always writing provocative articles to attack the university authority and military government.He is a trouble-maker.He must be expelled for corrupting the mind of students with his crazy Aluta." I heard many uncharitable words against me.
I was first kept in one empty room inside the Senate chamber along with students expelled for cultism,rape and examination malpractices.The university security officers advised my mother to step away from me until the end of the trial.
For the first time,I saw different sizes and types of academic gowns and I was asked to pick one to wear to face the panel.I picked the blue gown and as my full name plus matriculation number (92/030356) were called to enter the Senate chamber.I could not describe the feeling which enveloped my whole body.As if on a suicide mission, as if going to the lion's den.I tried to maintain my balance.I saw the dean of my faculty at the panel and some lecturers.I could not look at all of them properly because I was a bit nervous.
As I saw the Speaker of the House(Samson Olaoluwa a.k.a SamCool)who was my good friend,my mind relaxed that he would try to defend me as a representative of the Student union government.I later met SamCool in London 10 years after the trial.
When somebody l assumed to be the court clerk read out all my allegations.I knew that I was in a big mess and as the popular slogan says 'Today na today'.
I pleaded not guilty to all the charges but one grey-haired professor asked me further.
"Are you a writer or campus journalist at all?"
I replied with Yes.
"What type of articles or stories you write?Did you write anything to incite students to go against the university rule?"
"I am not sure Sir because I just write as I feel."
"Do you have any connection with Chief Gani Fawehinmi at all?"
"Apart from the fact that the human rights lawyer is my namesake.I respect him so much as voice of the oppressed people."
Late Fawehinmi already sent a lawyer pro bono to represent my other expelled fellow student activists at the panel but the university authority walked the lawyer out of the senate chamber.
The young lawyer just uttered few words outside the chamber according to my late mother.
"We shall meet at the proper court room not senate chamber of any university."
As the trial continues,my mind flashed all the revolutionary books I had read in the past : Che Guevara, Malcolm X,Nelson Mandela,Steve Biko,Marcus Garvey,Mahatma Gandhi and many more.
"No pain, no gain.This too shall pass if I endure further." One imaginary voice whispered to my right ear.
I could feel the stress and anxiety of my late sweet mother outside the senate chamber.
She was so scared when she saw 'ready-to-kill' police officers and soldiers on campus .She advised me to co-operate to avoid maximum torture because she assumed I would be driven in the police van to prison.
Wale Balogun,one of the expelled student activists was just singing revolutionary music to provoke the soldiers to shoot.I respect his bravery and courage till date.My late mother asked about him till her last day.
"How many students Soja go kill oo! Hey dem go kill us taya".
It was a tough battle of my life to get my first degree.I was unlawfully persecuted for my journalism and political ideology under a military dictatorship.
My brain could not comprehend the whole drama and I quickly pretended as if to collapse.
I noticed the court clerk changing the tape and I believed my voice was recorded.
I requested for a chair and a glass of water after standing for over 35 minutes to defend myself.I checked the wall clock in the chamber.
I was given a glass of cold water but my chair request was promptly declined.
I did not plan to be a student activist or campus journalist but when I discovered that we had many bullies and sickos among Unilorin lecturers, then I decided to challenge their madness at the risk of my certificate.I just hate wicked people with my body and soul.I used my pen to taunt them and I paid for my actions with an expulsion letter from the university authority.The rest is now history.
Some Nigerian lecturers of those era also suffered untold hardship during the military dictatorship saga, thereby ignorantly unleashed the hatred and terror on innocent students.It was like a transfer of aggression to the students.
TO BE PUBLISHED NEXT YEAR....
P.S: Last year, some 'intellectually-deficit' friendly enemies tried to create fear in my heart to 'thermocool' for General Buhari.I just laughed at them because if they knew my Unilorin history,they won't even bother to waste time to advise me.I challenged Abacha's dictatorship in my own 'little way' as a young man.Are they now telling me Buhari is more wicked than Abacha?Can Buhari also KILL opposition activists as Abacha did?Who is Buhari to me right now as a full-grown adult?Abegi,pass me goathead peppersoup jare.
Comments