By Nafiu Toyin Abdulqadri.
Comrade NTA or sometimes Hon. NTA, as people call me, is not a name I earned easily. Although NTA is the acronym of my name, Nafiu Toyin Abdulqadri, I earned the prefix Comrade/Hon through my long journey of student struggle while in school.
I was admitted to Kwara State Polytechnic in 2005 to study Mechanical Engineering. Shortly after resuming, I became the Honourable representing my constituency (ND I) at the Senate Council of the National Association of Mechanical Engineering Students (NAMES). While in ND II, I served as Social Secretary of the Ilorin Emirate Students Union (Kwara Poly Chapter) and won an election as Treasurer of the National Association of Polytechnic Engineering Students (NAPES).
My activism and student struggle continued at the University of Ilorin. In 2009, I won an election as Publicity Secretary of the National Sociological and Anthropological Students Association (NSASA). That same year, I was nominated to serve as Secretary of the Independent Students Electoral Committee of the Ilorin Emirate Students Union.
During the 2010/2011 academic session, I was privileged to win another election as Senator, alongside seven others, to represent the Faculty of Business and Social Science (BSS) at the Students Representative Council of the Unilorin Students Union. In the same session, I also contested and won an election as Sports Secretary of the National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS National Headquarters).
Finally, in my final year in school, I was elected Financial Secretary of the prestigious University of Ilorin, Nigeria Students Union under the Smart-led administration. I give glory to God Almighty for a life of service to student unionism.
In the process, I lost two elections. In 2010, while serving as a representative from BSS at the SRC of the Students Union, I lost an election to become Clerk of the House. In 2011, I also lost an election trying to return as PRO of NAKSS National Headquarters after serving as Sports Secretary.
I participated in several protests, but the most notable one was the 2010 struggle for the release of bursary to Kwara State Students, led by Musa Bio (MB) and Akaje Ibrahim. One thing I stood for and fought against was the issue of overstaying as a student leader.
There are senior comrades who linger around those in positions, calling themselves ‘Stakeholders.’ I recall having a serious exchange of words with a particular stakeholder (name withheld) who is presently an official of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. He threatened that I would be removed as Sports Secretary of NAKSS if the Stakeholders ‘reasoned’ my matter. Probably, that was the reason I lost the election to return as PRO.
I promised myself that once I left school, I would not be part of any kangaroo stakeholders disturbing innocent and genuine student leaders. Of course, I can be consulted or seek advice from, but to take ‘stakeholderism’ as a job? Never.
I appreciate all senior comrades who sincerely mentored us. Barrister Ismail Pakata was the first person to lecture me on what struggle is all about. He introduced me to Comrades Taofiq Olateju and Tola Kure. Teju and Kure are not only my seniors but also became like family to me. The memory of living together in a single room at Sabo-Oke remains vivid.
I have served under several Presidents, but the following stood out for their leadership and sincerity of purpose: Engr Ismail Emperor (NAPES), Musa Bio (NAKSS), Barrister Obayomi Az Olaitan (SUG), Dr Ace A B Rasheed (NSASA), and Engr Surajudeen Musa Smart (SUG). Thank you for your service and friendships.
The BSS days are unforgettable. We were elected to the SRC in the 2010/2011 session when BSS was still a challenging faculty to win elections from. My colleagues included Abbas Muhammed Adeniyi ‘Fashola’ (Economics), Yusuf Abdulrasheed Adedayo ‘Rashman’ (Political Science), Awonuga Rasheed ‘Rhadio’ (Finance), Hon Abdullahi Tripple A (Business Administration), and myself from Sociology.
Fashola went on to become the Speaker of the Students Union, Rhadio became the PRO, Rashman, having lost the Students Union election to Smart, later served in the Judiciary Arm, and I became the Financial Secretary. We remain good friends to this day.