Date Published: 09/06/10
Tribute/Diary to My Late Moses Oisakede NANS President 1998/1999
My Dearest Moseic, as i fondly called u. today you are 11 years old to mother earth and yet it seems as just yesterday. We parted ways at the federal University of Technology Akure after our senate meeting then i was reinstated to take over my position as the Vice - President National Affairs, NANS.
it was in this same meeting we took the decision to Uniagric Makurdi to reinstate 107 students expelled and suspended from university and I do remember vividly well too that we had a Tate a tete on how we move either to join you at makurdi or go with you same time through Ekpoma and i reply i had to submit my project in zaria and join you the next day in makurdi for the struggle. we parted ways while you left to Ile-Ife for another struggle via Oshogbo, i left for Zaria as agreed and that was my last to see u physically three days interval between your death.
Behold i arrived Makurdi, battle ready for the struggle, the management team had gathered the next day at Benue Hotel the venue of the panel. When i waited long, without a sign of your coming I had take a decision with comrades to be at the venue not to be late and our case be struck out at the expense of 107 students waiting for our intervention. We arrived the panel in company of the student union government and Hon Herman Hembe then, was still with us and not now again,.
It was at this venue the death of Moses was broke to me by one of the comrades Mr Oluwole Babaloa Moneyin aka obesere who incidentally was a victim of same accident, we ran out of the panel and all assemble at Benue state University makurdi and immediately travelled down to the scene of event. Before our arrival the Ochi Idoma of Idoma land had ordered the remains of Late Moses Oisakede NANS President to the Mortuary even without initial deposits and also that of Livingstone kwanga, a part three student of history Benue state university Makurdi
I arrived in company of the students union goverrment of BSU and Uniagric in company of activist on ground at the catholic hospital in Adoka in oturkpo Local Government area of Benue state Nigeria . there we met Comrade Agada .V.Agada, president students Union Government of Unijos, Tabuko Kenedy the treasurer of NANS then, Olumide Olatunji Babalola Moneyin aka Obesere both students activist of OAU ile-Ife,Mike Igaga elder and one time speaker of University of Ibadan and mentor to Late Moses Oisakede and Steve Ekwarere a student of delta States University Abraka, were all hospitalized in the hospital receiving treatment while we arrived.
The vehicle( Aluta Wagon) which Comrade Hon Philip Shuibu Inherited, the Majority leader of the House of Assembly Edo state, that was involved in the accident had already been toyed to Otukpo police station by the Nigeria Police force department under the care of the ochi Idoma of Idoma land.
On arrival at Oturkpo we were led to the ochi Idoma palace and he received us warmly and even assist us very well, we return back to makurdi to continue the final arrangement for the funeral at Benue state university at the cafeteria opposite late living stone kwanga hall, it was memorable and we had to organize a mini senate meeting presided over by my humble self as the acting president of NANS it was really indeed a hit with the like of barrister Agbakoba and barrister Cosmas Atabour as lead presenters and obesere defender of our agendas and debate that call the state to order and the next day Nigerian students took to street in makurdi to mourn the demise of late Moses Oisakade and living stone kwanga which I led again from BSU main gate to Government house Makurdi, where we submit our protest to the state government and we are received by the Deputy governor in the absence of the governor.
The state too as well did not left us in morning alone they took care of the Corpses from Oturkpo Mortuary to general Hospital makurdi were they took care of the bills, casket and transport of the corps from Makurdi to various destinations. Living stone Kwanga was in Ikowe , Ikyurav-Tiev in kastina Ala local government Area of Benue State and while Moses was laid to rest in Oturh after sabon gida ora his home town in Edo State
It was indeed a monumental burial I could remember moses, your corpse left early morning to Edo from makurdi a day after we had buried Living stone kwanga in his home town Ikowe , Ikyurav-Tiev in kastina Ala local government Area of Benue State, your body was escorted from BSU gate to the Benue roundabout to the south by mammoth crowd of students we tears and could not hold ourselves it was a memorable sober, we drove in convoy of about thirty buses all from neibouring institution to see you home, we were living legends
Our Beginning,
It was your time as a vocal senator of NANS then President Student’s union government of Edo state university Ekpoma second rugged university and aluta mobile in the world says world news rating then.
We met at senate meetings in kastina- Ala, Kastina States and as well the June 12 barricade at Auchi , Lagos and across the country then I was National Mobilization officer of NANS that declaration was a momentous battle with the states against the peoples will, which led to the taking over of a radio Station in abraka led by Comrade cyrils the then fin- sec of NANS, you mobilized and confronts the powers that be and so it was.
Our second contact was while I was expelled by the Gen Maman Kontogora Administration from A.B.U Zaria in 1997 and I took my matter to the law court and at the end when I won the case to be reinstated and could not pay off my legal fees you opted to assist and took me in your car to Ekpoma within a twinkle of a day you mobilized me several thousands of Naira to pay off my lawyers and still had enough to take care of my upkeep and pay my school fees at that same time. I would never forget. You used your position then in Ekpoma to call a congress and mobilized fund for me from the students that was then when comradeship was.
Our third contact too was three months after my reinstatement you persuade me against my will to be your running mate for the post of Vice President National Affairs and even when I told you my fears you still convince the power blocks to please support my cause Most especially Barrister Bashir ABdullahi and Barrister KershaArega then President and secretary General NANS respectively and even at that you went extra mile to mobilize fund for me to transport the Northern delegates to University of Ibadan venue of the 1998 convention, this too I will never forget my Moses.
Our struggles
We took the bull by the horn, when we protest against the illegal expolsion of tony fashayo and co from the O.A.U ile ife and we achieved results though not immediate but after your demise Tony fash, Obesere and others where recalled back to the university and today they are proud graduates with honors this again you fought out rightly.
Precisely 16 th-Febuary 1999, we both open another chapter of the expelled and rusticated students of ATBU Bauchi, you remembered when we stage a National protest of not less than 24 hours of struggle and the students of ATBU where reinstated by Proffessor Sani Sambo the Vice chancellor then, had no option but to recall the students back to their normal academic pursuits most of them today are managers of men in their different endeavors is another milestone of yours .
At the peak of ATBU Bauchi struggle we eaves drop another victimized case of Students of federal Polytechnic Bauchi and without invitation we storm the campus and the management quickly reinstate the students all this was the spirit of comradium and oneness we succeed.
At our struggle against the state in Lagos during the Nigeria 99 world cup we register our displeasure with the state for the borgous spending on the festival while our schools are unequipped and our lecturers pay could not take them home and we received canisters of tear gasfrom the state security men, I remember vividly at a time you where battling to get you self while you mistakenly inhale the tear gas and we quickly got a kerosene under the Surulere bridge to soft peddle the gas and still yet when you recovered and still direct we proceed with the struggle and so it was.
Again in one of our struggles in A.B.U Zaria during the tyrannical rule of major Gen maman Kontagora increase in tuition fee you came and assert for Nigerian students and you were arrested by the states with comrade Obesere , Agada, Mike Igaga, Olamide, Steve ekwarare and I hard the chance to beat the security network we hard to alert comrade Eze Nwagu who alert his boss Comrade Gbenga Olawepo in Abuja and seek for your release it was a rare struggle.
My President I will never also forget when you laid the template for our visit to President Olusegun Obasanjo which was slated for the 16 th- of September 1999 and you never stayed to accomplished the vist,
But we did on your behalf and entire Nigeria students and while we are mourning you we were not composed to say out rightly our demands in a diplomatic manner and we end up misunderstood ourselves and he obasanjo querried our demands as too authoritative and we better learn to respect elders in Africa though he assisted our travels to Lagos for your laying instate before we depart to Ekpoma via Uniben at the gate we were accosted by irate students who insist we must take your corpse round Uniben campus we would have do it but we were late behind schedule of activities in Ekpoma and besides it was even late .
it took us hours to secure your corps out of the crowd, this again remind me of the MIC undertakers in lagos the took good care of your dressing and even provide ambulance free of charge. It was father Mathew kukah that gave the Mass prayers for your laying instate at the Tafawa balewa squre Lagos every union was present.
My dear moses, I write you today that I shall never forget your good for humanity and most especially myself, at any given opportunity in life again, I shall remember you. As for your family it has been long sincerely I have seen them but honestly Obesere had been of good bridge between your family and us most at times he had the cause to visit them and extend their regards to us .
Moses as you used to say it is not over until is over, there we are and the struggle continues.
Adiue my dear Moses like I said this morning, at your remembrance, those we started the struggle with have join them and we are still watching the day we shall triumph over them Amen.
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