Great IFE SRC: A Debate Of Competency or Camouflage

Adeniran Stephen

In the heart of every Great IFE students, an undertone whisper of concern is beginning to tremble through the Students' Union. The esteemed Great Ife Students' Representative Council (SRC), entrusted with the responsibility of parliamentary proceedings, seems to be caught in a web of inaction. 

The Sacrosanct Constitution of the Great IFE Students’ Union, in Article II, Section 10, subsection 3 states that “the speaker shall summon the meetings of the SRC”. This part of the constitution clearly state that the Speaker of the SRC is given the constitutional duty of calling for the Parliamentary sitting of the Great IFE Students' Representative Council. 

Has the Speaker of the SRC, Rt. Honorable Ganiyu Yussuf forgotten his duty which is stated in the constitution as the Speaker to call for a parliamentary sitting? 

In a situation whereby the Great Ife Students' Union Central Executives Council is trying its best to make sure that students enjoy every activities on campus, but the legislative arm who should collaborate with them and make students enjoy the dividend of the Union has been driving the process backward. An important question we need to ask ourselves is this, How was the Fresher's Week funded by the Executive Council without the sitting of the SRC whereby there was supposed to be ratification of the budget? This means that the Executive Council of the Students' Union went extra mile to make sure that what ought to be done is done, whereas the SRC members are sitting in the comfort of their houses. 

Furthermore, the only committee that was constituted during the last sitting of the 2021/2022 parliamentary session was the Budget and Finance Committee. This committee should according to the provision of the constitution receive, call for and deliberate on the Budgets of the Central Executives Council, Hall Executive Councils and other Union committees and commission. However, up until this point, the Committee has kept mute on their duties, because there has been no sitting yet. 

It would look confusing that the Central Executives Council financed the fresher’s week with some amount of money and the budget was not approved by the SRC, which is against the provision of the constitution in accordance to Article II, Section 8, Subsection 1, the constitution states that “the SRC shall consider and approve the budget of the Union at the first business sitting of the council, which must be convened after fourteen days of the union’s election”. Meanwhile, while conversing with OAU Kilonshele, the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, Hon. Tunde-Adedipe Oluwatosin, said the Vice President of the Students’ Union, Omoyosola Adekoya outsourced the funds used during the Fresher's week. 

While it seems that the Speaker has forgotten his duties, a peep into the constitution in Article II, Section 15, Subsection 2b state that 'Special Meeting of the SRC shall be summoned by A written petition of one-third of the members of the SRC provided notice for such meeting is given in Advance'. Clearly, this state that in a situation where the Speaker is failing or failed in his/her duties, Honorables members of the SRC can call for sitting with one-third of the members in agreement. Meanwhile, we need to really confirm the only person failing to recognize the constitutional provisions of 'The Sacrosanct Constitution of the Great IFE Students’ Union' is only the Speaker or the joint assignment of the SRC. Because it seem as if honourables have either been shut off their responsibilities or they intentionally kept mute about the matter. 

Great Ife students should be perplexed by now that four weeks post-resumption, the SRC parliamentary sitting is yet to hold. Some might conclude that both arms of the Union are unserious with legislative duties. Some might simply shrug it off as something not serious enough. While some might be indifferent. After all, the end justifies the means.