The Painful Death of deceased TASUED Student
TASUED Was To Be Scrapped As University
Once upon a Valentine’s Day, Ten years ago, The 14th of February 2012 was bloody and sad. Students that got admitted into Tai Solarin University of Education after this incident might not understand what happened, but for the gallant comrade that fought against the proposed scrapping of TASUED by the then state government, the entire days of February 2012 were black. It was a black February! That put TASUEDites life’s on the line for the continuous existence of TASUED and one life was taken to redeem us all, to redeem TASUED! The life of a gallant and courageous comrade, the life of a humble man, the life of comrade Olatunji Fashina PKA Humble TJ.
Here is the full story!!!
It all started some weeks after the Student Union elections in 2012, the election that brought in the Welfarism team. While planning for the swearing-in ceremony, the rumor about the scrapping of TASUED began to spread among students like wildfire. The majority of the student began to panic, some took the courage to ask questions while others debunked the rumor and called it false. The elected Student Union officials and the public relation officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who happens to be a student of the University was invited for an urgent meeting at the vice chancellor’s office by the school management, it was then revealed to students the purported plans by the state government to scrap the school.
On the protest day, which happened to be Valentine’s Day, students were gathered at the Mini school gate and more than fifteen buses are ready to convey them to Oke-Mosan Abeokuta the location of the state secretariat. As agreed at the meeting, the president of the Student Union and clerk of the house were selected to visit Channels Television in Lagos, while other executives in attendance will leave for the venue in a bus before all other buses.
At Abeokuta once again and the journey was smooth, or so they thought until students heard from a radio station that Comrade Clement and some Union executives had reached an agreement with the state government to scrap the TASUED. Comrade Clement got angry and decided to put a call through to the station to clear himself and others. On the verge of dialing the number of the radio station, they heard a big blast, it was one of the bus tires that got busted, they heard the second blast and the next they saw is a bus tumbling on a highway as you would see in Hollywood movies. The bus tumbled four times and slid on the ground for several meters before it finally stopped.
Some executives found their way out of the bus, Com. Olayemi collapsed due to the shock while Com. Olatunji Humble TJ was trapped under the bus. According to an eyewitness “We all struggled to bring them out, but I fear most for Humble TJ because I carried him and I saw him losing too much blood”
An effort was made by passersby to stop a police truck that took them to the Federal Medical Center. On getting to the hospital, the doctors urgently attended to them, and Com. Layemi was revived, Com. Olatunji’s situation looked even more critical as blood was gushing out of his arm. One of the doctors approached and said “we will have to amputate his arm”.
They all disagreed with the doctors and plead with them to save him with his arm intact, but they said that was the only option to keep him alive. With soberness they finally agreed with the doctors. As he was been rolled off on the wheel to the theater, they heard a voice, they heard a voice of a helpless but courageous comrade still fighting for the existence of TASUED. The last word they heard from him was TASUED! TASUED! TASUED!… Till he signed off that night.
Humble TJ died for the existence of TASUED, he was used as statue in front of the Union building as shown on photo grid.
If Humble TJ can still fight for TASUED when he was so weak and helpless, what are you doing to make TASUED and Nigeria a better place? Thus, this is a challenge for you and I, to engage in positive acts and move TASUED and Nigeria to the great height where it truly belongs. No one is promised tomorrow, so make the best of today, to fight for what is right, to live life fully, to love, and impact positively.
© ODELEYE TIMOTHY, YUSUF JAMIU (JAYONE), DANEX