As part of its efforts to provide credible reports and reviews of candidates and the electoral process of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UISU), the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan (UCJ UI), under its Election Watchroom Initiative, interviewed David Oyekola, an aspirant for the position of General Secretary. In this interview, Oyekola discusses his leadership experience, assessment of the current administration, understanding of the office’s constitutional responsibilities, and plans to improve communication between the union and students.
UCJ: Can you tell us about yourself and what informed your decision to contest for the position of General Secretary?
Oyekola: My desire to contest comes from wanting to contribute to my immediate environment. I have had leadership experience in different capacities and on different platforms across this country. I have been to the University of Ilorin, and of course I’ve served in different capacities; I have served at the faculty level and the union level. Anywhere we are, I see it as a duty to myself to serve, particularly because of who I chose to be a mentee of, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who took the time to nurture us and give us that solid education on what it takes to be a leader. These experiences have shaped my understanding of leadership and public service.
When I came to this university last year, I saw how things were, and I felt like, of course, we could improve things much better. We can make it more progressive than it is. That’s why I’ve been liaising, deliberating and consulting different student leaders since last year, when I came on board. And, of course, I saw a reason why I feel like we can be more intentional about how we want the students to come back into the union. Because I took an assessment from three or four students and asked them, “What do you feel about the union? Do you feel like the union serves you?” Of course, they feel that distant relationship. And that’s why I said, okay, let’s be more intentional about it. And that’s what made me and brought me into the union of this university.
UCJ: All right, so you spoke about ambition with the mainstream politicians. Well, I would say, about Dr Bukola Saraki, many people actually believe that the future we are enjoying today. Does it now mean that you would also go through that path? And secondly, when you talk about conducting interviews with a lot of people, consulting people, and them giving you a response, what do you want to do differently? And are you trying to say that this current administration does not do better in terms of its relationship with the students and supporters?
Oyekola: First and foremost, addressing the issue about Dr. Bukola Saraki, I do not know him anywhere. Like I said, I was just a student, and Dr. Bukola Saraki came to our university when I was an undergraduate. He taught us a lesson. He called it the masterclass. And, of course, he reignited our passion for leadership. He didn’t say maybe we should come and be his tutor or maybe his pupil. He only came to our university to find a purpose in being alive and a purpose in contributing to our immediate political environment.
Number two, you spoke about the relationship of the union with the students. As far as I’m concerned, rating this present administration, I boldly tell you it’s an eight because I see how far they’ve been contributing to the union and to the students. But, of course, we are not perfect, and I’m not saying I’m perfect either. But the truth is, we must just intensify. Find one or two ways where we can impact our immediate environment. Because maybe at some point, maybe we’ll try some things and bring them down. But if it’s about plans, let me say, maybe, I mean, in accordance with the constitution of the student union, to make up our plans for our manifesto, to be able to change that constitution, you have to know better.
UCJ: So, you’re not saying there’s a lacuna in the constitution?
Oyekola: I’m not saying that. But as far as I’m concerned, I believe that, within the constitutional premise we have in the student union, of course, we can still do our duties. It’s just to be more intentional about it.
UCJ: Going by the constitution you’re trying to claim, do you think the current administration is working with the constitution? Or do you think otherwise?
Oyekola: Well, to be frank, as much as we don’t know what decision has been made internally, I would say most of the activities—of course, everyone has been discharging their duties as per the constitution.
UCJ: Talking about the constitution, can you tell us what the constitutional provisions of your office are?
Oyekola: Well, according to Article 5 of the student union constitution, it states the duties of the general secretary. The general secretary is the head of the secretariat. The general secretary documents, records, and handles everything else mentioned there.
Also, in conjunction with the president, he delivers the records of the meetings of the Executive Council and reports to the SRC about what they have done so far in the union. I think number four comes with the fact that he manages the clerical duties. I actually interviewed the general secretary on the last item, the duties of the general secretary, and he said that there are no more clerical officers in the union building. The general secretary does not have any say in that.
UCJ: Being number three in the association, there are times when the association would warrant the student union leadership having a meeting, a family meeting, with the UI management. How are you going to prevent the negotiation between the two parties, the UISU leadership and the university management, from becoming private arrangements where the outcome does not see the light of day?
Oyekola: As I said earlier, this is not my first experience with the university management. I had discussions with the university management at the place I came from. And not just that, I think I do very well with some of our senior lecturers in my faculty. Of course, we have a smooth relationship. But, of course, that doesn’t negate the fact that we don’t make appeals about the problems that we face as students. I can tell you for a fact that having meetings with the UI management does not mean we have to be totally subservient to the relationship we share. I mean, if you are elected with the mandate of the people, of course, you have to make excuses for them, not for the management. So, sitting with the management only gives us a particular platform to host our things to discuss. And, as I said, as the General Secretary of the student union, if elected, of course, whatever I feel the students need to know, they will definitely know about that.
UCJ: Getting students to know about certain things, as opposed to the way management perceives that executives should act, is why they always conduct leadership training at the beginning of the semester. They give you some orientation on how to do things and what’s supposed to be done. Now, I know that you are a law student, and also a lot of things are at risk, including your academics. Are you doing this at the detriment of your academics?
Oyekola: Well, let me restate it again. I’m not saying I’m going to go out and release confidential information. Of course, there is some information that is very private to the executives of the UISU and the university management. But, like I said, there will be general news that the students need to hear. And, of course, you made mention of the leadership training. We’ll be there. We’ll listen and we’ll see how one or two will not breach the rules of this land, of this particular institution.
UCJ: That means you are still going to be the directowr of the University Propaganda?
Oyekola: Well, that’s them. I’m a different person. My name is Oyekola.
UCJ: If they don’t also release confidential information, or any information, they may start to censor certain things.
Oyekola: Well, as I said, it’s confidential because it’s called confidential
UCJ: Now, let me speak about this. The reason why, at the last protest we had, he happened to be on the table as a pressman, and the reason why people do this, first of all, is because they actually observe that any form of communication, or any form of information they are actually passing down, cannot get out. At least, that’s not a family meeting, because the press is the fourth estate, and he won’t want to compromise. So, are you not also sharing the same view that, if it is confidential, that means nobody needs to hear, even if it’s going to affect student welfare, because we are hearing supposed rumours of a fee increment? Are you trying to say that if you hear about that, you won’t blow the whistle?
Oyekola: Well, like I said, sir, I mean, if you like that, we have a mandate to deliver. The University of Ibadan students will definitely express something. I mean, I believe that’s the truth. So, I can state it for you guys. As long as I feel like the news or whatever emerging issue may definitely have an effect on UItes, of course, they will need to hear it.
UCJ: The question now is that, if that particular information would have an effect on the public, on the masses of students, and UI management ordered you, being a member of the Executive Council, not to release it, what would happen? What would you do?
Oyekola: Well, let me correct you, sir. UI management cannot order us. Of course, they can make the appeal. That’s why we are a union. We are independent on our own. Of course, we share that kind of connection with them. For management to order us, I mean, that’s what the theory is. So, of course, they can appeal to us. But we can also make our own excuses.
UCJ: Is a way that a threat can be made that you will know that it is indirectly an order; they can threaten your studentship.
Oyekola: I don’t mind.
UCJ: You don’t mind?
Oyekola: Yeah. As long as the Executive Council resolves that the students need to hear, I mean, I can make the decision. But, of course, as an executive, as a team, the president makes sure that, of course, they need to hear; they will definitely hear about it.
As far as I’m concerned, I know that I’m in the service of the president because he’s the chairman of the Executive Council. Anything that can bring up an issue and have an effect on the student community, of course, if I discuss it with the president and I feel like this thing would be a real issue, it would definitely be a real issue.
UCJ: Okay. So, let’s say you leave a family meeting knowing that the management has rejected the students’ demands, but the president instructs you to tell the students that the negotiations are progressing well. What would you do? Would you protect the union’s image with a misleading statement, or would you risk conflict with the leadership by telling the students the truth? Which side are you going to pick?
Oyekola: Well, sir, for a fact, I’m the kind of individual who does not take vague responses or answers. As far as I’m concerned, if I’m in a meeting, I want a clear timeline on how we can achieve our purposes together. I think it’s a four-star relationship. We don’t keep ourselves in the dark. And that’s the fact about leadership. There should be a clear time for every decision to be made. As I said, if we come to that situation, well, let me say this: it’s to be discussed with the team.
UCJ: Now, the thing is that you leave a family meeting knowing fully well that the management has rejected your appeal- the students’ appeal about a particular thing- and, leaving that meeting, the president, being the chairman of the Executive Council, instructs you to tell the students and the public that that particular conversation is progressing well. What would you do?
Oyekola: Well, at the end of the day, it’s about morality and conscience. In fact, as I said, we are team members, and if the president makes a resolution that we should go ahead and make such an appeal, like I said, as far as I’m concerned, the consultation should not be a one-time thing; if he goes ahead and tells me that this is what we need to say to the public, of course, he’s the president.
Well, let me say this: the correspondence will be out. But I’ll make sure I put it on record that I did not want to contribute to that because, as far as I’m concerned, like I said, the mandate of students is more important than anything because we are serving them.
UCJ: Okay, are you saying now that you are going to go ahead and release your correspondence that the dialogue is progressing well?
Oyekola: I mean, it’s the president who said so, and, of course, he’s the chairman of the Executive Council. I can’t go ahead and conflict. Unless the effect is critically bad.
UCJ: Yes, yes, that’s what we’re talking about.
Oyekola: Let me say this. I want to believe that if the effect is critically bad, the president will definitely- I mean, he’s conscious- come on board to tell you that we cannot release such a statement.
UCJ: Really?
Oyekola: I want to believe that I’m going to work with a very proactive administration.
UCJ: Let’s say it’s either you guys go back and tell the students that things are going fine, that we’re in dialogue with these people, or you risk losing your studentship, and the whole council agrees that we’re going to tell students that things are going well to save our studentship. What will you do?
Oyekola: So, let me state it again. We are working based on assumptions, and, as I said, I never leave the negotiating table. As far as we can get a clear sense of what the issue is, I feel like the students need to hear, and I can only propose it to the Executive Council. If the majority of the Executive Council says no, then we’re going to go ahead and publish a particular correspondence as it is because I have to listen to them. I mean, as I said, we are team members, and one of the qualities of a good leader is to work along with the team.
But let me say this unequivocally: if there’s any issue that we have, and we come back to this kind of situation that you assume, which I believe will not happen, I said I’ll put it on record. I was never part of it. This is what I stand for. But, of course, if the Executive Council, the majority of them, believe that this is what should be held, it will be held at the end of the day.
UCJ: Moving to the next question, still about an instruction from the president. If the president instructs you to carry out an administrative action that you believe violates the UISU Constitution, would you obey because the president is your superior or challenge the instruction because your office has constitutional responsibility?
Oyekola: Well, let me state this. The president is the chairman of the Executive Council. I won’t say I won’t obey, and I won’t say I won’t challenge. Of course, if the president wants me to carry out a duty which is a breach of our constitutional duties, as you said, well, I believe we have a DSA for a reason. That’s the Dean of Student Affairs. You should speak to him like a leader. Approach him and speak to him about what we are about to do, and as an advocate of the rule of law that I am, like I said, I don’t go around breaking constitutions. I’m very big about constitutions. I’m very big about laws. I’m very big about the rules of the book. We must abide by the rules that are established to articulate the constitution. That’s what I am. That’s the truth of the matter.
UCJ: So, how would you ensure that student complaints submitted to the union are formally recorded, assigned to appropriate officers and followed up, rather than disappearing into WhatsApp conversations?
Oyekola: In my manifesto, we actually provided for this scenario because, so far, I believe, and I will continue to say, I believe that governance is a serious business. I mean, you don’t need to go informally about governance. Governance is a serious business.
Let me say this: any correspondence, petition letters, complaints that come from any association, students or anybody in this university should be regarded with the highest and utmost importance and let me say this: we’ve made a provision where I said we’ll be working with the website, where people will be able to track and follow the movement of their correspondence.
I said that whenever any student or body of association submits a letter, petition, correspondence or complaint, they will be given a reference number. This is one of my manifestos. We have provided for this kind of situation, and that’s the truth about it. Because, at the end of the day, we want to make sure that student complaints are regarded with the highest and utmost importance.
