Is The Student Union for Or Against the Student?

 

On July 11, the students at the University of Ibadan marched out in unison against the fee hike and other things that needed attention from the school management. Ever since this fight, there has been little or no evidence of whether the student union were with the students in their struggle. On the 17th of August, it was exactly one month since the student at the University of Ibadan took the street to fight for a cause: fee must fall. Despite the accomplishment of the students in demanding their rights, one of the outcomes of this action was a commitment from the UI Vice-Chancellor through the Governing Council to review fees and the temporary suspension of fee payments until further notice. On the 25th of July, the students at the University of Ibadan demanded a general meeting, which was tagged “A Call for Congress” against the mass action that happened on the 16th and 17th of July. Attached to the letter were 250 signatories, which were addressed to the President, the Students’ Representative Council, the Council of Faculty Presidents, the Council of Hall Chairpersons, and the Union of Campus Journalists, UI. Despite this, the student union president refused to call for a congress, flouting the Constitution. We can see that Mr. President sees himself as a god who refuses to climb down from his almighty chair. It begs the question of the unconstitutional behaviour and irresponsibility of the president to keep to his duties. it is more appalling that the student representative council chose to play the lap dog of the student union president by not summoning him to a congress. This shows that some of the students in the place of power are not there to bear the duty of leadership but to usurp power for their own gain.

On Thursday, the 25th of July, eight students petitioned against the leadership of the student union. They petitioned against the student union council and president due to their refusal to call for a general meeting to reevaluate the outcome of the protest. We can also know that the president does not value the sacrifice of the students on the campus and washes down every effort of those who made him emerge with the hope that he will prioritise and fight for the good of the student community. This again shows the failure and incompetence of the leadership of the student union. We may then ask if the student union is for or against the cause of a change in the university community.

A few days after the petition, the student representative council thought it wise to give the president a deadline to call for a congress and verify the suggestions. Analysing this, one would be curious to know if the students will have to teach the leadership of the student council what to do and how to take action. It seems as if the representative council does not know its right from its left and is controlled by every opinion or what it feels is right to do. The representative council did not deem it fit to call for a congress after the protest, and until a call was made, they also did not see it as a responsibility until a petition was made against them. This proves that the so-called representatives at the council do not know how to represent the student community, or they have misplaced priorities on the pains and concerns of the students they claim to represent. After a call for Congress was made, it took the student representative council eight days to come up with the conclusion of asking the president to verify the signatories. The same president took less than 48 hours to gather 250 signatories for an election to hold the last session. this can be seen as another misplacement of priorities.

On Friday, the 2nd of August, the congress was postponed despite the confirmation of the signatories and deadline by the representative council due to the nationwide protest. According to the president, said, “However, we recognize the current national unrest due to protests across the country, and therefore, the congress is temporarily laid on the table” and the resolution of the security meeting of the university. This can be seen as an excuse to hide from responsibilities after stating that it needed to confirm the signatories. While the president continues to wallow in its indulgence, it is important to note that the student representative council keeps spoon-feeding the president. On the 5th of August, the student representative council wrote to the union president with the update, giving the president 3 days to come up with a conclusion. We also wanted to ask and know if the president is giving us three days to decide on what affects the lives of every UI student. How can we trust Mr. President to make decisions on weightier matters the things that affect the student body? It is also imperative to note that the semester is approaching exam weeks, and the stance of the community is yet to be known on whether there will be a fall or the efforts of the students were futile. This can be seen because of the slack hands of the president in addressing these issues.

28 days after receiving the letter to call for a congress, the UISU executive council finally calls for a congress and makes it a month and a day when the general meeting is held.

Among the issues we face as a community, the most we face is the incompetence of student leaders to effectively discharge their duties and protect the welfare of the students they promised to serve during their campaign. It is worth noting that the student leaders are sometimes not different from the leaders they castigate for the economy and welfare of the country. If the hopes of Uites are dashed by no fall in fees despite the sacrifices made by Ui students, then we will hold the student union president, his executive council, the student representative council, and all other crucial leadership bodies that claim to fight for the welfare of the students and claim to prioritize student concerns.