By: William Olaleye
The University of Ibadan Students’ Representative Council sat for its Third Emergency Sitting on Friday May 16.
Among other issues discussed was the infraction on due process by the SU, the unilateral suspension of the Congress and the alleged assault on Union Officials.
Recall that the Student Union Executives had sent out a series of memos earlier the same day, the first to suspend the Congress scheduled to hold on Saturday, the second an urgent request that the SRC approves the suspension.
Following this, the SRC called an Emergency Sitting to deliberate ostensibly “on the integrity and relevance of the approved congress.”
At the SRC Sitting, the President was called to the floor of the house by Honourable Basit Olarenwaju to explain to the house the reasons for the suspension of the Congress by the Union Executives.
Addressing the House, the President, Covenant Odedele, decried the attack against his Executives in strong terms and stated that they had suspended the Congress for fear of the security of the students at the Congress.
“There’s nothing honourable about it (the attack)” he told the House.
He further advised that the Congress be laid under the table for the time being, pending the time the security concerns are addressed.
“I think for now the Congress would be laid under the table. Be rest assured that it is not an intentional effort to sabotage the congress” Mr. Covenant stated.
Responding to the President, Honourable Oladele from Alexander Brown Hall Constituency raised a suggestion.
He advised the House to deal with the Security threat on behalf of the SU by engaging the Man O’ War officials and every defense minister in the Halls of Residence on the day of the Congress.
He further questioned the President if he could provide a quorum for the Congress should the SRC deal with the security concerns.
“Anywhere there is a security threat is a serious threat including National Security. If the security threat is addressed, are you promising us a quorum before tomorrow. I believe Congress should hold tomorrow and the House should see to it that the Congress is secure” he advised.
Following this, other Honourables raised other questions which they also put to the President.
Some wanted to know if the Dean of Students was aware of the Congress while others wanted to know if the Honourable Speaker of the House was also carried along.
In response, Covenant assured honourable members that both stakeholders had been carried along since the Council approved the Congress the previous Sitting.
“I will correct every Honourable that said that it was up until Thursday before I spoke to the Dean about (the Congress), that is very, very wrong. I can confirm that as much as possible, from the day the Congress was approved by the SRC, the Dean was very informed about the Congress. In all of these events, the speaker was well carried along about all of these processes” Covenant stated.
After another round of back and forth among honourable members, the Speaker opened the floor for motions to be moved.
Honourable Mojoyinola Okikiola from Bello Hall Constituency moved a motion to amend the resolution that the Congress should hold on May 17.
He moved for it to be moved to the following Saturday and that the President and all other concerned members of the Council be referred to the disciplinary committee to answer for their erroneous actions.
Honourable Adebiyi moved a motion to move the Congress to the following Saturday. However, only 6 Honourables voted in favour of the motion.
Honourable Oladele took the floor again, moving that a security Defense Committee should be set up consisting of every defense ministers of every hall of residences and five members of the SRC to ensure there is no security threat at the Congress tomorrow (on Saturday) and that the Congress should hold as earlier slated for 17th May.
His motion was seconded by Honourable Sulaimon Afeez and approved by a majority vote.
Honourable Oladele Samuel moved another motion to compel the SU to send out a memo informing the student body of the Congress within 30 minutes upon approval of the motion.
He further moved that every Union on Campus should be available to mobilize the student body to attend the Congress and the House voted in favour of both motions.
Other motions moved and approved on the floor of the house sought disciplinary actions for all parties involved in the altercation that left the General Secretary injured and be sent before a disciplinary Committee.
The five-man defense Committee set up by the SRC included Honourables Mustapha, Marvellous, Onaayomishi, Oladele Samuel and Gbadebo.
The sitting was adjourned at about 20 minutes to midnight.
