UI Elections: Do we want better?

 

It is the season of elections in the University of Ibadan; SUG elections, Halls of Residence elections, and the Faculty and Departmental elections. Among these elections, the student union election is the biggest and arguably the most important. As usual, in all elections, people are more interested in those for the head position; interestingly, this year we have five candidates running for the position of President. This is the point where we seek to compare the capabilities and profiles of these candidates to find the most suitable one. 

The previous administration is nearing its end and it is time for evaluation; there are no better critics than the students who were governed. Eighteen months ago, they delivered their promises and time has tested the verity of those promises. Upon all we have received from this administration and the already heart-warming promises of the coming ones, we should ask ourselves if what we have is enough or if we want more from the next administration.     

THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

A student said he’d rate this current SUG administration eighty per cent. According to him, this current administration has fulfilled its promises to the students to a large extent. He said only a few are still left undone. He listed a few achievements of the administration; quick response to complaints on price hikes, renovation of the SUB, their intervention in issues surrounding student portal issues and extension of the school fees payment deadline. But despite all these good things, he believes there is more that the next administration can do.

For Dooshima, the next administration should bring more to the table. She said;

“In my view and according to my understanding and observations, the current and past administrations have done good works as regards students’ welfare, student mobilization in politics, and students' involvement in decision-making of their education among many others. Hence, I expect further improvement from incoming administrations to leverage on the structures that have been built to make a better school environment for students. Improvement such as the evolution of laws, improvement in capital projects and as much as they deem fit for the school.”

She emphasized that those that will be elected should be the ones with good character and a working vision for Uites. Part of the things she believes must be addressed by the next administration is the Constitution.

“Truthfully, anybody can come out to vie for a post. However, who will be elected by the students should be the one with the best character and vision; most especially, people vying for posts at the SU level. They must be innovative in their thoughts and prioritize treading on paths unseen. An example is more awareness of students' rights. Most importantly, a review of the SU constitution can bring about a new revolution and development among students.”

A NEED FOR A MORE VIBRANT LEADERSHIP

Oloye has a different view on accessing the current administration. According to him, the fire and effectiveness at the top are not the same as they used to be. 

“The leadership in the school is dwindling. We used to have vibrant people in leadership positions, people who command respect. Currently what we have is like a shadow of the past administration.”

Rating the current administration to the past administration, he gave the Mascot administration 6.5 – 7 out of 10; stating that the Akeju administration did well despite the situations surrounding the administration.

“The new administration coming in soon should be well scrutinized and they should be able to prove themselves as people who can perform, with experience. We must ensure they have concrete plans and are surrounded by brilliant and capable people - having the right people who can help them achieve their plans while in office.”

WHAT DO WE WANT TO HEAR IN MANIFESTOS

The least any aspirant can do is to present a feasible manifesto that contains realistic and achievable plans. We do not need to hear or see beautiful, grand plans that will not see the light of day.

A student who chose to remain anonymous said;

“I do not want to see a 'rinse and repeat’ situation. I do not want people who are there just to add the positions to their CVs or for the money. I know these are part of the reasons why students do all these things but at least make sure you work, make sure your impact is felt; leave a legacy that people will always refer to.

I do not want to hear there will be 24-hours light in your hostel, however sweet that might sound, is it realistic? I want to hear just realistic plans alone and how you plan to achieve them.”

For Dooshima, the contents of the manifestos should not fall short of the things she had highlighted above. 

“The manifestos should not depict anything lesser than the expectations itemized above. The manifestoes must be achievable and realistic. It must encompass the needs of the students with effective means to execute them.”