Omole Ibukun Ayodele aka "ibk" on OneOnOne with Oau Kilonshele

Omole Ibukun Ayodele aka "ibk" on OneOnOne with Oau Kilonshele
"The SU must be in the hands of a radical defender of the Students' Interest"
"The SU will work with the school management and not for them"

Kilonshele: Evening sir, how has been your day?
Ibk: Fine.

Kilonshele: We seem to be familiar with the name 'Hon. Ibk', please what is your full name?
Ibk: Omole Ibukun Ayodele

Kilonshele: Your family background sir?
Ibk: I'm the last born of a family of five, fatherless since six years old. I'm from Ilesha, Osun state.

Kilonshele: I'm sorry about that. What about your academic background up till date?
Ibk: I attended Olatunde memorial high school, Ilesha and presently in Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile-Ife, both in Osun state.

Kilonshele: Your level, department and faculty?
Ibk: I'm currently in part 4, civil engineering, faculty of technology.


Kilonshele: Can you please state the leadership post(s) you've handled till date?

Ibk: Presently, I'm the national secretary of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), before then,I was the OAU branch secretary. As regards to the aforementioned, I started having exploits in defending the students' interest. Also, I've been a parliamentarian twice and the convener of the Coalition of Radical Parliamentarians, aimed at making a difference in the Parliament.



Kilonshele: What are your reasons for vying for the presidency of the union?

Ibk: My motivation is very simple. I've been an activist for a while and it's just that, wherever society you find yourself try your best to move it forward, and doing it for the interest of the masses and not for your selfish reasons. Coupled with the fact that I've been an average individual and belongs to the commoner of the society.



Kilonshele: What makes you think you are the best man for the job amidst all other aspirants?

Ibk: The students' union itself is a platform for radicalism. Just like the Christians would like to be led by the most spiritually active member and the Man 'O war would like to be led by the most physically fit individual, so, the students' union must be in the hands of the most radical defender of the students' interest.



Kilonshele: Can you tell us the struggle(s) you partook in at the SU level?

Ibk: Apart from attending Congresses, the first struggle I partook in was the resistance against vacating the halls of residence for sports men in 2014, which was successful. Another is the fee hike struggle in 2014 under the leadership of Ibikunle, it wasn't a complete success because of the wavering leadership then, with evidences of corrupt practices. The 2014 fee hike struggle led to the suspension of some student activist like Engels, Sammie and others in order to victimize them, this started another struggle aimed at reinstating those suspended. Unfortunately, some of the SU executives betrayed. Also, the SSANU/ NASU strike was also a struggle I partook in. This taught us not to be indifferent to the staff struggles as students will always be the grass affected by two elephants fight.



Kilonshele: It's a common knowledge that you belong to the Democratic Socialist Movement, what are the ideologies of the movement?

Ibk: The ideologies lie in the first two words - Democracy and Socialism which involves the equitable share in government.



Kilonshele: Do you intend to imbibe this ideology if voted in?

Ibk: That is what the SU needs, that is, everybody having a say on the affairs of the union and pursuing a goal for the betterment of students.
How do you intend to manage the SU without school management interference?
Definitely, the SU will work with the management and not for the management, in the sense that the SU should be independent financially and at the same time be able to keep the management on their toes. This was what we showed during Prof. Bamitale Omole's tenure. As at this morning, the EFCC has invited him on a fraud allegation.



Kilonshele: What is your take on the 2.5 CGPA criterion?

Ibk: Actually, I'm well above 2.5. Apart from being unconstitutional, the criterion is to deny some people political leadership. People, whose academics have been affected negatively in one way or the other. So, I'm not in support of it. As a matter of facts, I don't know why the electoral commission is bringing in this even after it has been debunked by the management.



Kilonshele: Though you are optimistic about the election result, what will be your next line of action if the tide turns in the opposite direction?

Ibk: Well, I'll accept if the majority has decided to vote out a radical aspirant.



Kilonshele: Do you trust the electoral commission with the electioneering?

Ibk: Actually, it is known that some electoral officers are campaigning for some aspirants, with evidences in the custody of the ACJ president. So, the question of trust is not the issue but the results being subjected to criticism.

Kilonshele: Thank you for your time sir