“I See Myself Winning The Election, Because In Exodus 14 V 13, Moses Said…”—Richard Oladeji, UISU Presidential Aspirant


By Ibrahim Oladosu

In this interview with UCJ UI, UI SU presidential aspirant, Richard Oladeji discusses his plans and agenda.

UCJ UI: Kindly Introduce yourself

Richard: By the virtue of nomenclature, I am Oladeji Richard Oluwaseun, a proud Kutite, a 300-level student of Department of Sociology, from the greatest Faculty in the University of Ibadan, Faculty of The Social Sciences.

UCJ UI: Can you share with us, your leadership experience?

Richard: I was a two-time Honourable in Ransome Kuti Hall Representatives Council the immediate past House Secretary of the Union, I was once the Chairman of Kuti Hall Price monitoring committee, member, University Transport Committee, Students’ Welfare Committee, National President of Oke Ogun Students, member, Disciplinary Committee of the 8th Assembly, Quality Control in Kuti Hall amongst other leadership capacity I’ve acted in.

UCJ UI: No doubt, Richard Oladeji wants to succeed Akeju. But what will he do differently?

Richard: I answer something similar everyday. I believe that, if I am found doing what I’m doing today and I am opportune to do it tomorrow, I should be able to produce better results than today’s. I will sustain the legacy we achieved during the Akeju-led Administration. I am not coming to do a different thing, although, I don’t say there is no space for innovation, there is, such as the Career fair, the UI Got Talent, introduction of food bank etc.

UCJ UI: Do you think the Students’ Union is in a state of moribund?

Richard: No, it is not.

UCJ UI: Why?

Richard: For instance, after the Federal Government relaxed the COVID 19 protocol and the University is to resume physically, the Management proposed N40,000 because their argument was, “the federal government is not funding the Halls of residence anymore”, the Union tabled the argument that, there was lockdown, most of our parents lost their jobs during the lockdown, there was End SARS protest, how will you be adding salts to our injuries, then we proposed N27000 and because of our superior argument over the Management’s, then, we succeeded, this war was won because of the Union. Out of 100 wars we fought with the Management, we won 80% of them.

UCJ UI: So, you think the Students’ Union is still essential?

Richard: Yes, it’s still essential and it’s the indispensable part of the University because it is the common voice which we students have, to project and fight for our interests.

UCJ UI: What do you consider the strength in Students’ Union?

Richard: Our biggest strength is the Union, the common voice of the over 35,000 students in the University to press home any demands, any time and any moment.

UCJ UI: What do you consider the weaknesses of the Students’ Union?

Richard: To be frank, the grades stipulated to contest election. This has deprived students opportunity to pursue their leadership traits, this has created obstruction. This has led to low acceptance of the Union by the aggrieved Students.

UCJ UI: Earlier, you talked about Management-students Relationship, how will you describe it?

Richard: The relationship is based on loco parentis, and a good parent will always act in the best interests of his/her wards.

UCJ UI: Supposing you’re elected as the president and there is superior argument by the management to the students, how will you reconcile?

Richard: I believe the congress will not do anything contrary to their interests, but if there is a loggerhead between the management and the students, I will follow the Students, but with a clause, there is a better way to drive home demands without protest. I will say this, I don’t care, but if this will cost me the presidential seat, it is not advisable for any organization to use protest as a tool to drive home demand at this moment, because, everywhere is tensed and protests are now hijacked by hoodlums.

UCJ UI: You have been accused of not doing what you said you would do as the House Secretary? What do you think went wrong?

Richard: I don’t know why, there has been always a journalist from the UCJ and every time I have issues, there is always a bad publication about me. Of all the promises, I have not achieved just 3 ¹/2, i.e. I promised I will light up the Awo-Idia road. Although, I write to the management, the lights were repaired and in less than four months, they stopped working again. Other are: I promised there would be a luncheon for past Union leaders and I could not hold a luncheon because of the COVID 19 restrictions and thirdly, I promised to wash all the tanks in the Halls of Residence which I could not was because the school was not on session.

When I was inaugurated as the House Secretary, I have not experienced someone in the office of House Secretary, the first four months in office was for consultation, then virtual lecture, these are why I could not achieve what I promised UI.

UCJ UI: School resumed physically and some of this can still be achieved.

Richard: I take the blame for that.

UCJ UI: Running for the post of Students Union President, what are your agenda for the Union?

Richard: My agenda for the Union is based on five agenda, which I coined into WASBA i.e. Welfare, Academic, Skill acquisition, Bursary and Accessibility. Of all these five agenda, I will based argument on what I’ve achieved as a member of Akeju’s team and what I am bringing in board to improve we have done in the past, such as distribution of exam relief package for students, distribution of bursaries to indigents students, adequate response to students having health issue. I will introduce the UI Got Talent, Trade fair, Career fair, food banks Promoting entrepreneurs amid new plans coming on board, we will keep doing the ones we’ve doing before and we will introduce new ideas.

UCJ UI: How would you implement them?

Richard: Apart from the new ideas I am bringing in board, this are the thing we’ve done before during the Akeju led Administration, it was achieved through handwork, lobbying with the management if necessary, lobbying with alumni, lobbying with external bodies, political office holders etc.

UCJ UI: What motivated you to contest for the post of the Union President?

Richard: I never get tired of serving. There is a popular saying, you leave the stage when the ovation is the loudest, but to me, you don’t leave the stage when you have something more important to do, you don’t leave when you have ideas for the betterment of the Union. I believe in continuity, that’s why I’ve always likened the Union to a moving vehicle, when it was proscribed, it was parked, when you parked vehicle for a long time, it will develop fault, when we were inaugurated, Akeju was the driver and I was beside him, as we are moving, we are fixing the faulty parts. Then, it reached a stage the driver (Akeju) is to alight, then, somebody beside him tries to take the wheel, and someone from the outside is trying to take the wheel. It is advisable to let someone inside the vehicle to take the wheel because he knows the strengths and the weaknesses in the vehicle, because, if we left the vehicle for someone from outside, the car will crash, then, we lose our Union again.

There is a popular saying that, old brooms sweep cleaner than new brooms.

UCJ UI: What exactly is the brand “Richard” is selling?

Richard: Richard is selling Legacy, Richard does not want us to lose our Union to the hands of someone who if there is any obstruction in our academic activities does not have anything to lose. This is my first degree, I am in 300 level, I am 22 years old. I am preaching Legacy, I am preaching good relationship and partnership with the Management on the guide of Loco- parentis who act in the best interest of their wards. I don’t preach cultism, I don’t encourage violence and I’m bringing the gospel of UI being the role model for other Schools in Nigeria, even, as far as Sub Saharan Africa.

UCJ UI: How would you rate the Akeju led Administration?

Richard: On a scale of 100, I will rate us 89 because most of the ear we fought, we won at least 80% of them. It succeeded in bringing the Union back to campus and integrating the students back to the system. We deserve a kudos.

UCJ UI: How do you think you can perfect and win all your wars supposing you’re elected?

Richard: By developing new approach that will entails the mixture of the old approach and new Approach.

UCJ UI: What are your chances of winning?

Richard: It depends on God. If it’s God’s willing for me to be there. I always emphasize this, if I will fail the generality of UI students as the President, I pray I don’t get there. I see myself winning the election, because in Exodus 14 v 13, Moses said, fear not, stand still, and see the salvation which the Lord has brought to you, for the Egyptian you see today, you shall see no more. If an average University of Ibadan Students should listen to what I have to offer the Union, I believe they can entrust their vote in me.

UCJ UI: If you’re elected, what will be your achievements within 100 days of Office?

Richard: The first thing I would do is, organizing a committee for indigent students, meeting on security with the representatives of students, exam package with consideration of Students staying outside school campus and most of our agenda will be achieved within this frame.

UCJ UI: What interest you about your contender?

Richard: He is my friend before the election, he is still my friend and after the election, he will still be my friend. He is a good person and he has what it takes to be the president but I have superior hands than him i.e. experience. He still has like two years in the University, he can contest for General Secretary position, groom himself and aspire for the post of President afterwards.

UCJ UI: What do you think gives you leverage over your contender?

Richard: My achievement and experience.

UCJ UI: Final words to the readers.

Richard: All my 21 plans for the Union are feasible, it has been test-run and I know I can achieved. If it is not achieved, the University community can come for my head. I will act in the best interest and make sure this are achievable within my six months of office. Thank you

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