TO TELL THE FACTS AND NAME THE NAMES

 

By Ojo ADEREMI

“Ti omo eni ba dara ka wi” goes the Yoruba adage and it loosely translates in English as “if your progeny is worthy, tell it.”

Olawuni Mustapha…

 

The election was not just an election, it was revolution. Whoever recommended the counting of votes in halls of residence deserves an award. Olawuni Mustapha no doubt is a hero for providing the blue print for the elections. For the first time in recent years students had the impression of classical democracy. The consciousness of students, no doubt, has been raised as regards politics and unionism. Truly, if the revolution is sustained, the Premier Aluta will assume her historical role as the leading defender of the masses.

However, in Saint Basil’s words “he who sows courtesy reaps friendship” I do not wish to lose friends early. So my congratulations to Mr. Olateju Aliyu the president elect. But the bulk of it goes to “Zik” for producing for the first time a victor at the polls since the union was restored in 2010. Although the present arrangement of the political terrain of the University is backward, it needs overhauling.

Hegemony.

Contesting based on the strength of the hall is a sick concept. It means manifesto and ideological affiliation will be driven to the background and this is unhealthy for logical struggle and sustainable progress that the union preaches. It is high time we had a party system in the union. More ideological groups should join the existing ones. Voting based on residence translates to what upholds in the Nigerian State-North\South dichotomies. I represent the North with the quintuplet of Zik, Indy, Abdusalam, Idia and Awo and the South with other halls within “school area”. The DSMites call this system of politicking ‘bourgeoisie politics’. That is /bujwazi politics/. The system leaves the union at the mercy of larger halls of residence with more residents. This will evidently render the intellectual bank of the union empty SINCE IT IS JUST A GAME OF POPULATION.

FEMALE PRESIDENCY POSSIBLE.

Students generally are oblivious of the fact that the number one member of their union will be absent from the union building mostly. Mr Aliyu is an engineering student and by the curriculum of the faculty of technology he is expected to go on internship which normally lasts several months. In light of this, the vice president will act as president as stipulated by the constitution of the union.

The same also goes for the welfare officer of the union-the house secretary elect who may ‘unavoidably’ be absent from the Students’ Union Building. This, in the future, should be prevented either by the electorates or by the electoral commission.

The paramilitary outfit…

I think we are not laying emphasis on the ‘babyish’ attitude of our paramilitary “boys and girls”. Some of these young people seem to have forgotten what ‘attitude’ means. The case at Idia polling unit is a seriously funny one. Hours into the counting, some toddlers in Man ‘O War outfit arrived with dummy guns made of wood and were brandishing the objects like they were real. Faces contorted to make them look simian; they began ordering fellow students around with a tone gravely below that of civility. These young adults need a bit of orientation on attitude to complement their effort and selfless service. Since the Man ‘O War is a humanitarian organization, inhuman behavior of members towards other people is ridiculous and should be considered so in the organization’s code of conduct. This is the part of selfless service which the Nigerian Military and paramilitary men do not understand too well.

Congratulations to the victors in the just concluded elections and I pray for them in Tai Solarin’s words that ‘may your road be rough’. Because definitely it will be rough-uneasy lies the head that bears the crown. I hope you will give us the paradise you promised us.illuminating changes

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