Dear Auspicious Team, The Real Work Has Just Begun

  

The world embodies many arts, the art of loving, giving, kindness and everything humans classify as beautiful. Of these arts, wooing is the most embellished, quiet yet resplendent. However, wooing can only yield results when both parties reciprocate equally. The moment this art becomes one-sided, it becomes disheartening. 

 Wooing bears a pure likeness to the world of politics; an attempt is made to win the heart of another during election campaigns. In both cases, not a promise but many promises are made to influence the people's franchise. 

Along the way, these subjects can either become the leaders they promised to be or embark on a personal frolic. Similarly, the Auspicious team wooed us and today, the rest is history. 

In the Words of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the foreman of the renewed hope era, “ At the start of this tenure, we hit the ground running, 100 days after, we keep running”. On the 7th of March, the Auspicious Team was officially inaugurated by the University Management. From that point, the Auspicious team has advertently run by the renewed hope mantra.

Come April 1, a memorandum was circulated on the highlights of the Students' Union's activities. The memo outlined activities performed from the start of the tenure until the 30th of March. A few of these activities include the release of the SU's first official statement on letterhead, which addressed the inaugural incident. The SU visited halls of residence, the Director of Works, the Chief Security Officer of the school, the University Health Services, and the Association of Tricycle and Cab Operators to discuss possible and sustainable solutions to students' challenges. Following the announcement of the fumigation exercise, Queenites were assisted in vacating the hall, with the Aluta jet providing transportation for their belongings during the relocation.

The Auspicious team may look set and right on track. Perhaps, they consider their recent activities as having taken flight. However, this Editorial maintains that with the start of the new session and onboarding of freshmen, the real work has just begun. 

This places a heavier burden on the student union executives to deliver on their primary duties to shield students from the unpleasant dimension of student realities and secure their welfare. 

We would recall that the Aweda-led administration was a long thread of protests and agitation. The incessant bickering from Stakeholders and students was one of the many hits suffered by the administration. They instructed students to stall in the payment of school fees with the hope that the school management would eventually cave to their demands. Although this move was an attempt to apply pressure and gain leverage in their negotiations, they were in actuality, stoning the wrong Stephen. 

Without regard to these pitfalls, the Aweda-led administration did well in other areas of welfare. For instance, the collaboration with SBJ foods to occasionally provide students with a decent meal and the fight against period poverty are commendable initiatives that will not be forgotten quickly. However, the gaps were too wide for the goodwill to bridge.

At the peak of the protests, people argued that the demands of the student union were ridiculous and some others persistently held that protests were the most potent charm to disarm the management. But, We often fail to admit that the big picture is ugly; Nigeria replicates itself in every sector, and it's only logical that we fit into the situation and find a reasonable ground where all actors are considered. 

The protests yielded little to no tangible results and their aftermath was a lamentable show of students sent home for three weeks to find financial alternatives to cover school expenses. Even now, some students have not been able to meet their financial obligations to the school and their inability to pay these fees means an extra year for them. On the contrary, the resolution of the over 100-day blackout in UCH after a few days of protest exemplifies the power of dynamism in deshelving unending struggles with insignificant outcomes.

This is a flashlight to the Auspicious Team to tactically and dynamically hold on to the negotiation table, explore all options available and ultimately secure the interest of students. These require this administration to sit, plan and ensure that these issues do not keep occurring.

 According to the highlights of activities sent out by the SU, they have taken time to sit and plan on how to tackle real challenges and even to ensure a smooth resumption for freshers. We might have been let in on these plans, but their eventual success remains uncertain, and it is impossible to predict which ones will pan out. Therefore, this administration must remain vigilant, sensitive and tend to each of these plans with utmost diligence.

The lives of followers are rarely as ruthless and cumbersome as those of leaders; the demands of service will only intensify with time. To the Auspicious Team, every step taken towards the welfare of uites is not only an exercise of leadership but also a step towards humanity and nation building.

 While it is important to fulfill each of the plans in your manifestos, do not forget to do the important things, carry on with the good legacy of past administrations and build upon it. Likewise, your constitutional and customary duties are of utmost importance: fight for the ones you profess love to. Now that the session has officially begun, with freshmen fully onboard, this Editorial wishes the administration one thing: a truly auspicious and mark-making times. Sail smooth!