Five Years Later, OAU Students' Union Finally Retains Its Mantle
Olabode Oluwafemi
"It is equally expected that your own administration will be the dawn of a new era, where we expect things to be done in a responsible manner, free from financial recklessness, greed and fight between the executive council or beefing between the CEC and Students' Representative Council."
Following the suspension of the Great Ife Students' Union in 2017, and after a series of galloping in the hullabaloo. The union officially retains its mantle in the Inauguration and swearing-in ceremony for the students' union officers elected held at Amphitheater.
Recall that [the] union after its reinstatement in 2021 and successful electioneering process for the Students' Union officers, whose swearing-in and Inauguration ceremony were later put on hold by the University management due to the demise of a Foreign Language student Omowunmi Aisha which the students agitated that [the] poor health care system in the University health center amounted to her death and later escalated to tough-heated protest that altered the academic calendar.
In the welcome address by the electoral commission chairman, Oluwafemi Ajayi also known as Efem Castro said the reinstatement of the union was spurred by The Late Yinka Odumakin, a Nigerian human rights activist and politician.
In his words, "I resumed this office in July 2021 which was supposed to be three months but unfortunately, it lasted for nine months."
According to him, the electoral commission under his chairmanship conducted a hitch-free, smooth election ever in the history of the Great Ife Students' Union.
In attendance was the Dean of Students' Affairs, Prof. Isiaka Aransi.
In the Dean's welcome address titled "dawn of a new era", he appraised the led administration of Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the Vice Chancellor for reviving the union.
"It is equally expected that your own administration will be the dawn of a new era, where we expect things to be done in a responsible manner, free from financial recklessness, greed and fight between the executive council or beefing between the CEC and Students' Representative Council." He charged the union leaders.
The Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede in his advisory speech to the newly sworn-in Union leaders said, they should desist from any "unnecessary" action or demonstration that might lead to loss of students' lives and should avoid being engineered by outsiders contrarily to the oath taken by them.
He further admonished them to be responsible in the dispensation of their duties.
The electoral commission chairman, Oluwafemi Ajayi reacted while being quizzed on the struggles encountered to get the Students' Union leaders Inaugurated,
" A task that was meant for three months eventually turned nine months, obviously I was not prepared for the extra six months. It came as a rude shock but as a leader, most times things you don't prepare for do come in place"
The Union Students' Representative Council Speaker Ajadi Toheeb, while being interviewed by our correspondent said,
"The Inauguration is something we all have been praying for before now, there has been a series of challenges that our Union has experienced before now. Alhamdulillah, we have our Inauguration today and fully our Union is back" He said.
The Vice-Chancellor in an interview session with our correspondent expressed his pleased feelings on the Inauguration of the Students' Union after five years.
"I'm quite pleased with what is going on now. For the fact that we could have an election in the students' union with no single petition, it shows that there is a difference. It has never happened in the history of Obafemi Awolowo University.
"On our side as management, we have also tried to introduce a leadership training which we think can assist. Students' unionism in this country today is very different from what it used to be, people have to learn and see how they can maximize the current situation for the progress of their individual university." The vice-chancellor, Prof. Eyitayo Ogunbodede stated.
Good one
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