By Murewa Olubela
On Wednesday, 4th of March, 2020, The Literary and Debating Society (TLDS) of the University of Ibadan got new hands at its helms of affairs.
The hand-over ceremony which held at the Student Affairs Conference Room witnessed the Dara Olaniyan led administration hand over the affairs the society to new executives who had emerged victorious in an election earlier in the year.
In his hand-over speech, Mr. Dara Olaniyan spoke on the achievements, failures, challenges faced by his administration as well as recommendation to the new executives.
He listed “The Literary Festival” which the TLDS organized in the first semester, partnerships with F&K Savings and the Student Media Personality Nigeria (SMPN) and increased social media presence as achievements of his administration. He said poor funding and late kick-off of the administration were some of the short-comings of his administration.
He encouraged the new executives to devise ways to improve the standard of ‘Jaw War,’ to look closely into regulation of the judges and to amend some sections of the Society’s constitution. He also urged the new executives to carry on with the Literary Festival pioneered by his administration, as well as the partnerships on ground.
On the brouhaha with the literary and debating societies of Alexander Brown Hall, Faculty of Clinical Science and Faculty of Dentistry that saw the three constituencies walk out of the 2019 Jaw War midway, Mr. Dara Olaniyan urged the new executives to take proper actions in ensuring that these constituencies come to terms with their actions. He then went on to wish the new Otito-Jesu Ayeni’s led administration good luck and success.
In his speech, Otito-Jesu Ayeni thanked God as well as the outgoing executives for their successes and their precedents. He also thanked the members of TLDS for the opportunity and promised to perform to the best of his abilities. He advocated for harmony and unity among senators of the TLDS and charged the new presidents of constituencies to impact value to their members. Other executives are: Adenugba Omotayo, Vice President; Bolaji Olayide, General Secretary; Daniel Akobundun, Treasurer, and Williams, Public Relations Officer.
