For more than a week now, there have been several rumours with respect to increment of school fees in Adekunle Ajasin University. Yet, none of the institution student journalist have been a able to come up with in-depth report as regard that.
In University of Benin, Medical students have been evicted from hotels when exam is fast approaching, no report on that.
In Lagos State University, the students often complain about the tyrannical tendency of the institution’s Marshal, no detailed reports.
University of Lagos students are presently living under pitiable condition. Yet, they have journalism body.
In University of Ibadan, I’m scared we may never have people like Kunle, Haleem and others again. They now so much enjoy the Facebook post of the Vice Chancellor as news report.
In Federal University of Abeokuta, any media outfit must register under the SU PRO.
It is important to make it known here that OAU is not the only school suffering from decay infrastructures development and other irregularities. But, we have got men who the words of Henry Anatole Grunwald that: “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”
You don’t find OAU in the news every day, every month and every year because the practitioners want to be popular. We are only find pleasure in Helen Thomas’ words that: “We don’t go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.”
I have seen campus journalists justify their ineffectiveness. Some will tell you they really need to graduate, some will tell you that they only want to multi task and most are scared of victimisation. Yes, I used to know a radical journalist in OAU whose headline has changed to “OAU Amphitheatre Full To The Brim As Students Attend Olamide’s Show”. Why? He was threatened by one of his lecturers, got his phone damaged by the department and other molestation. God forbid some of us will keep quite when the news got to us. We did not disrespect the lecturer but we made him realise his mistakes and very sure he won’t do such mistake again.
“You know that I am still a student”, the argument of some. Yes, we are all mindful of the management but then, “Journalism without a moral position is impossible. Every journalist is a moralist. It’s absolutely unavoidable. A journalist is someone who looks at the world and the way it works, someone who takes a close look at things every day and reports what she sees, someone who represents the world, the event, for others. She cannot do her work without judging what she sees”, says Marguerite Duras.
The change to transform your campus begins with you.
Truth be told, OAU is one of the safest campuses in Nigeria because the pen will always speak. Before the management makes decision, they consider the response of the press for they know that some persons understand the best way to fact check authority.
Let’s continue to assert the strength of pen in our institution. It can be done.
*Adejumo Kabir
Student Journalist, writes from Obafemi Awolowo University*