Certificate: Man dies after fighting YABATECH for 41 years

OYO State-born pioneer President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sunday Oladele, who attained victory after 41 years fighting with Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, was planning big for his convocation before he died, his son, Olalekan said on Tuesday.

According to him, the 72-year-old activist was celebrating his victory against YABATECH after the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges in June 2021, ordered that his certificate be given to him after 41 years seizure.

Olalekan stated these in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja on Tuesday on the sidelines of a press conference addressed by the Chairman of Pa Oladele’s Burial Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, and NANS President, Sunday Asefon.

Oladele, alongside a few others, had in 1980 led the rebirth of the students’ movement from the proscribed National Union of Nigerian Students after the military government of Olusegun Obasanjo had, during the ‘Ali Must Go struggle’ led by Olusegun Okeowo, banned student unionism, which was firmly organised under NUNS

He was said to have led others, regrouped them, wrote a new constitution and in 1980, founded NANS.

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.”