CALABAR –In a recent statement, Comrade Daniel Obo Jnr., Chairman of the National Youths Council of Nigeria in Cross River State, suggested that the University of Calabar (UNICAL) student protest on December 4, 2023, was politically motivated. Obo emphasized concerns about the absence of the Students' Union Government (SUG) President in the demonstration, pointing to what he believes is a challenge in mobilizing students due to prevailing fears. He urged for peaceful negotiations over fee increments and cautioned against actions that could jeopardize the security of the state and the integrity of the University of Calabar.
Obo made this known while addressing some journalist recently in Calabar adding that he was informed that the Students’ Union Government, SUG President didn't partake in the protest, adding that it takes God's grace to gather students nowadays to protest.
“When we say the protest is political. See, let me tell you. In Cross River State today it takes God's grace to gather students to go and protest. I'ma unionist. They have instilled so much fear in the students to the extent that on their own students cannot come out to say they want to protest. If not, why did the previous government left with our money for bursary?
“My own position is that the SUG president said he did not go out for the protest so we did not know who went. Does that not call for concern? So who led the protest? If | do not lead any protest for the well-being of young Cross Riverians and then another person leads it, it then becomes a sponsored protest. So, therefore, if the SUG president did not lead that protest, it was sponsored,” Obo said.
Obo adviced that the increment of school fees shouldn't have led to a protest that would cause insecurity in the state, rather a peaceful negotiation with management would have resolved the issue.
He added that the students were called and encouraged to protest, adding that the Student Union Government, SUG were handicap at that point and couldn't stop the protest.
“Our first interest here is the security of our state. | am not a student union leader. When you talk about people who are asking people to protest, between you and |, you cannot tell me that the SUG president was responsible for that protest. It’s not true. What we are saying is that anybody with whatever differences shouldn't bring our state into it. What | am saying is that institutions in Cross River State should be strengthened rather than.
Continuing, the NYCN Chairman said, “People are angry that they have increased school fees, but let not that anger leads to the destruction of our state. Let that anger not lead to the insecurity of our state. Let that anger not lead to destroying the University of Calabar. That's my position and | remain there and stand there. Nobody is accusing anybody directly, but naturally, it is the duty of SUG to negotiate school fee increments.”
Obo underscored his belief that, irrespective of the issue at hand, resorting to protests is not the optimal solution in today's Nigeria. Expressing worry about the potential hijacking of peaceful demonstrations, he emphasized that destructive outcomes and property damage often accompany such events