The Days Are Becoming Darker

 

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Rot. A being that has been well fed and nourished, now spreads faster, even faster than the virus that forcibly declared a pause in Nigeria. With each visitation it leaves a lasting impression. One that can tell the very person responsible for such, Rot. For every child who wishes to play in the bright daylight, running around just because the day is so generous to relinquish some part of its energy, gets scattered into pieces when told to retire for the night, as the day fades into night. However, hope broken is still amendable, as he looks through the window of his resting place with all assurance and guts, for he knows that tomorrow is yet another day.

Although the day brings with it, its life, but as of now, are we to say that nature has lost its balance? Day and night now look so identical that you can’t tell which one it is. Or, are the days truly becoming darker? The glory of the former days can only be heard with words of mouth, “oh back then, I remembered there was a time when…” these words can only be understood for their superficial and literal meaning. We even fear if the voices of those who preach the gospel of when there was a time won’t be lost. 

There is a decadence and its thorns pierce into every sphere of life. We no longer know what is meant to be rightfully ours, what we are entitled to and who we are. A leader whose foresight is blurred leads the people into the reality of vagueness. Human Rights have been choked by the grips of oppression. Generations now and to come now question their entitlement. Am I entitled to education? Do I have the freedom to speak? The right to education now becomes a matter of deliberation, influenced by who holds the gold? You pull one or two strings, and you are just where you need to be. The voices of the masses are now masked by the loud sound of injustice. And when they try to speak up, they are shut by the people who claimed to lead and disguise oppression for discipline.

Let us bring it down to the school community, a microcosm of the bigger picture, Nigeria. The same thing carried out down here is played on the big screen. The semester has just begun and funnily enough, we have not been welcomed by the beautiful sites of the, this agenda, that agenda or welcome back to school. Maybe the effect of last session’s election left with its marks burned into memory, which can’t be erased in the land of University of Ibadan (UI). 

However, the Auspicious team government will, in soon time, come to an end. This set the room for yet another administration. Propaganda will soon fly around. But one thing is surprisingly shocking and disheartening. People are moved by what they see. A blurred foresight. The ability or the place of deep scrutinization has lost its position. People are now easily deceived. Soon, the entrance of hostels will soon be taken away by the plea of voices.  “I am running for this, I have been the president of this and I believe I am the right person for this, so, vote for me.”  Not to crown it all, in some female halls of residence, appearances now influence votes more than competence. People now vote with the consciousness of their hearts excluding the function of their brain activities.

The days truly are becoming darker. No one knows their history and the people to come might be completely shut out from it. We now live in the reality where the very entity who represents the student body now imprecises the order of the day. Following the incident of the UI’3, the Union of Campus Journalists on the 24th of August, 2025, sat down with the President of the student union, Covenant Odelede to ask for the union’s stance on the whole matter. The interview depicts just how loud our voices can be heard and how well we are effectively represented. Questions asked weren’t given straight answers, it is either I’d rather not comment on that or the necessary process weren’t followed. Leaving the answers to God knows who? The student body? The school management? If the very person placed in a position to act can’t fully account for what goes on in the affairs, then doom awaits us at the door. 

Should we not lament over the delay in the Student union not responding timely to the incident of the UI’3? But when there is a reversal or a visit to an office, they quickly take to social media with Usain Bolt’s speed to talk about it. Should we not lament the fact that up until now, a congress has not be held?  A sacred gathering where the student body comes together, tackle and critically analyze issues affecting them.

Unionism, over the years, has lost its relevance. Most students, upon entering the university community are not well sensitized and oriented about the core essence of what unionism is all about. The bible says when the foundation is destroyed, what shall the righteous do? If issues aren’t tackled from the grassroots, it spreads like wildfire. The primary purpose of the student union is that it acts as an independent body and a nexus between the school management and the student body. A lot happens when such a bridge is breached, at least it’s not a procedural breach, for in our hands, it all lies.

The educational system is not even left out. A new session draws closer and students are tense, scared and anxious about what the next session holds. Some are still trying to recover from this session. Most ask, now what do they have installed for us this time around? Will the school fees be doubled or tripled as this time, it seems like one that can’t be reversed? Even as the fees get increased, the equivalent is not seen in the learning environment such that there is no change. The lecture theaters are still the same, the equipment used in laboratories never lost their positions as they still remain where they are. 

Despite the introduction of the initiative, Nigerian Education Loan (NELFUND), students still struggle. It is either they have an issue with the website or their account was not funded and when a refund is asked  an eternity will pass and one will still be left unanswered. With the emergence of NELFUND, this gives the school management the confidence to further ascertain the increment of fees and strict adherence to deadlines. Something that is regarded as a right. The educational system has been flawed at times without numbers such that only the rich can afford it. Truly, may the labour of heroes' past not be in vain.

This editorial aims not to scare but to make known that truly there is a problem. Maybe we should start from the grassroots, knowing where it all began. The history. There is a need for proper sensitization of the student body to fully understand what unionism is all about. During the fresher’s orientation, it should be mandatory for history to be revisited, instead of events such as Mr and Miss Fresher, which is not a bad idea. But the core essence of what the student body and unionism stand for should not be neglected. And while yet another election approaches, we, as students, have a right to demand, to know and to think logically. It is our responsibility to question, for the decisions we will make now affect those coming after us.

While we may not yet see light at the end of the tunnel, one candle, then two, then a thousand, can force the light out of the darkness.