41 years of fight to claim graduation certificate from YABATECH had just ended in victory, when the ex-student of YABATECH passed away.
Pioneer President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Sunday Oladele, who was triumphant after 41 years of battling Yaba College of Technology in Lagos has died.
Sunday Oladele was planning a huge celebration for his upcoming convocation before he passed away, his son, Olalekan revealed on Tuesday.
The 72-year-old activist was celebrating his win against YABATECH after the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges in June 2021, requested that his certificate be given to him following 41 years of seizure.
Dino Melaye
Olalekan expressed these at a press conference on Tuesday which was addressed by Senator Dino Melaye who is the Chairman of Pa Oladele’s Burial Committee, and NANS President, Sunday Asefon.
Oladele, and a couple of others had in 1980 driven the resurrection of the student movement from the restricted National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) after the then military Head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo had prohibited student unionism, during the ‘Ali Must Go Struggle’ drove by Olusegun Okeowo, and solidly coordinated under NUNS.
He was said to have founded NANS in 1980, after regrouping and creating a new constitution.
Melaye said, “This effrontery later earned him and most of his colleagues varying consequences such as expulsion, rustication, and withholding of their certificates.
“Seeing how long the injustice had persisted, the Senate mandated the management of YABATECH to release forthwith his certificate withheld for 41 years. With the intervention of the Senate Committee, the management of YABATECH agreed to present the departed leader with his certificate at their next convocation but unfortunately, he died two weeks after.”
He also revealed that a letter would be sent to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Ministers of Education and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, “to ask that this great Nigerian, who sacrificed all for the betterment of this country and who was denied justice for 41 years, be immortalized.”
He continued, “He came to Abuja to fight for justice where he met his untimely death. I want to believe that by the time we put our heads together, the Federal Government must immortalize him because there are people of less national value that have been immortalized by the Federal Government.
“So, the Nigerian students’ body is requesting unequivocally that this great Nigerian be immortalized and one famous national institution in this country named after him.
“We, as also students, former students, and leaders, still have Students’ Union Buildings that have not been named after individuals. We will encourage through the President of NANS that some of these institutions name their Students’ Union Buildings after this great Nigerian.”
Olalekan said, “I’m his first child and only son, I have two sisters. I’m glad that I spoke with him and our last conversation was a good one. He was in high spirits, suffered for 41 years, but died doing what he loves best.
“My father has always talked about his struggles to get his certificate from YABATECH. He was in high spirits, having got that Senate victory, and was really looking towards that convocation ceremony in YABATECH in a big way.
“My father fought with love for the masses; it was never a burden to him. He never had any regrets. His only regret was that his struggle to see a better Nigeria was not actualized in his lifetime. But other than that, he never had any regrets.”
Asked if he felt neglected and abandoned by the people he fought for, Olalekan said he never felt neglected, adding, “If he felt neglected, he would not have continued that struggle even when they denied him his right.”
He said, “Even at his old age (72), he had always continued the fight whenever NANS leadership called him. I won’t like to say he died poor but he didn’t achieve many of the things he really wanted. Because of the certificate issue, he couldn’t get to where he was supposed to be. But then, he wasn’t rich and didn’t die a rich man. But he wasn’t begging before he died.”
