June 1: Dear Great Ife, where is our "Arya Stark?"

Peter Oyebanji


"Winter is here! Winter is here!" Those were the words that occupied everywhere along with the Night King's picture. If there is a Great Ife traditional practice that has not been destroyed by the authorities, it surely will be the "Aro practice." Or what other explanation can you give to the reactions that followed the scary report released by "Oju?" Oju's transition from a local threatner to a Night King is simply "Aroistic." There is nothing you can tell me that will change that believe.

On the 1st of June, winter will finally dawn on us. And I've been asking only one question; who is our "Arya Stark?" Did someone say porters? Lol. I stay in Sango-ota, an area with occasional clash between cultists. Police, in a decent form, usually find it difficult to stop them. Most times, they usually opt for peaceful settlement after wreaking a little havoc. So, "let's not even start the porter will stop them" joke.

Although, the management has been handling the issue in a serious manner. But there is a clear difference between attending to an issue and attending to an issue smartly. Bar the tactical steps the school have been taking that can not be revealed due to security concerns, other steps we've seen have been jocular. The campus gate inspection and the halls of residence inspection have been absolute jocular. These steps have been more problematic than effective. OK, let's do some thinking: The school expelled about 6 students last session for involvement in cultism, is the management telling us that those 6 students are the last of their kinds? Or when they were giving ID cards to students, cultists went with obvious signs on their foreheads that prohibited the authorities from giving them ID cards? If No, then why on earth will the school management assume that students or people without any means of identification are the only one capable of causing harms? While waiting for answers, I'd also like to know how porters arrived at the conclusion that people without hostel ID cards can harm from morning to 4pm but can not harm during visiting time. There is only one obvious deduction here: Not only students are doing "Aro" nowadays, even the authorities are now doing "Aro" subconsciously. An "Aro" that has been denying us the opportunity to charge and relax in halls of residence before going home in the evening after classes.

June 1 will come, and Oju (A.K.A Night king) will lead his boys to OAU (A.K.A Winterfell). Although, the management has assured us of adequate securities. I, personally can't see an Arya Stark among those groups that will be possibly available. If the school provides soldiers, that's very good. But here is the thing, these people have never been in touch with Great Ife community. Soldiers didn't stop cultists in 1999 and soldiers have not been the ones consciously defending the school against cultism. Cultism don't get curbed by gun, they get curbed by constant organizational pressure, a solid students' body and a supportive and smart management.

Take a moment and Imagine if Daenerys had locked Arya Stark up in the preparation for the "Battle of Winterfell." That's exactly what's currently happening in OAU. If our Arya Stark was never weakened and proscibed, we wouldn't even have got to this point. Anyways, we're here and students are really hoping the management will fully protect everyone both on and off campus.
For me, I'll just be praying Winter never comes.


Peter Oyebanji is a student Journalist in Obafemi Awolowo University and can be reached through:
Gmail: adewuyipeter50@gmail.com                                Twitter: anderpeter2

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