A PRESS RELEASE BY ASSOCIATION OF CAMPUS
JOURNALISTS, OAU
OAU SU BUDGET: IN WHOSE INTEREST?
STUDENTS OR UNION LEADERS?
Quoting from the words of the former president Dr Good luck Ebele Jonathan: “Stealing is not corruption,” we are forced to ask the Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union leaders if their proposed budget that has generated several controversies is borne out of corrupt and selfish interest of the students’ union leaders or the collective interest of the entire populace of great Ife students.
Some weeks ago, the association of campus journalists made a press statement on the degenerating welfare situations of students on campus which in the actual sense is the most sensitive issue that concerns every individual on this campus.

Most of the dissatisfaction coming from the poor welfare conditions have been traced to the alleged insensitivity of the school management. If asked where the salvation of the ever dwindling state of welfare on campus lies, majority of Great Ife students would no doubt seek refuge in the students’ union leadership where overtime they have vested their trust so much in.


However, the supposed and highly placed trust in the present Students’ Union administration has begun to waiver following the recent unratified N26,090,469m budget on Union’s need for the remainder of the 2014/2015 session, which is roughly six months.

In the parliamentary sitting of Sunday 13th September, 2015, the budget presented by the students’ Union leaders could not
be passed due to the sole reason that the budget in itself was outrageous and had raised a lot of eyebrows from gallerians,
students and some parliamentarians. Though there are whole lots of other issues surrounding the so called outrageous budget ranging from the questionable attitude of the Budget and Finance Committee chairman of allegedly not carrying other members of the committee along, as well as the undeniable realities that the so called outrageous budget was not fictitious; the about N2M budget for phone call for the union’s leadership seemed to have generated dusts from all ends.


In all however, whether or not it is the case that the budget is yet to be passed before the House, what we suppose should bother the minds of students of Great Ife is whether the enterings of the Union’s proposed budget are hinged on the sole interests of generality of Great Ife students or on the selfish interests of the union leaders. If the figures and facts before ACJ are true and valid, then one may begin to question the sincerity of our student union leaders. Knowing fully well that the students union is expecting just N15m as subvention based on the union dues paid by students; realistically, if the union spends N1.8m on calls, N300,000 on bus maintenance,
and the union’s speaker is proposing to spend N1,250,000M, inter alia on long and short journeys and at the same time
proposing to spend N500,000 on accommodation for same journeys, not leaving out N114,000 meant for phone calls for
the budget and finance committee, one may begin to wonder how much would be left for capital projects.

The trust which OAU students have in the students’ union leadership may begin to dwindle and the essence of student unionism may be defeated if so much could have been budgeted for concurrent projects at the expense of capital projects. Questions should be asked on what the Union leaders are doing to ease the poor welfare burdens that the university management has let off on students on campus.

Questions not rhetorical, should be asked on what practical actions the students union is taking at ensuring that the poor
infrastructures, the insufficient hostels, shortage of water supply, lack of conducive lecture rooms and so on, are improved. As much as we are aware that the union cannot turn things around within the limited time possible, it is still reasonable that such a journey for a better students’ welfare should begin now, now with the union’s budget!

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Having said the above, the Association of Campus Journalists, being the conscience bar of all stakeholders of Obafemi Awolowo University wish to give the recommendations

hereunder:
1. That as it occurred that the proposed budget was not well documented and duly signed, we posit that a proper documentation, not handwritten, of the budget be submitted from the Budget and finance committee to the C.E.C and then to the House, for ratification and signatures well accounted for.

2. That a thorough overlook of the union’s budget be debated so that a cost effective and inexpensive administration be run.

3. That the interests of the generality of Great Ife students be chiefly infused into the budget.

4. That the budget should contain more of projects that will improve the living conditions and wellbeing of every student
on campus.

If there are any other comments as regards this issue, you can mail us through (acjoau2015@gmail.com). We have our twitter platforms @acjoau, for facebook, we have association of campus journalists page, ACJ watsapp group pages
inclusive of ACJ News Reel or you can forward a letter through the General Secretary of the association.
Signed:
ADEBAYO BENJAMIN O.
PRESIDENT

OLAOLUWA JOSEPH
General Secretary

OMOLE ISAAC
Public Relations Officer

lady F nd introvert were busy cooking in ma kitchen while I'm ftc


back to topic,; now lemme read, I'll comment later

Where is [b][/b]Lady F ?

Oga oo......how will that amount be use to call people?? Am sure he wants to start calling aliens... in fact he can call Michael jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcdIH0N0fXU

Student Wahala

Na so curruption dey take start o

Hmm

Future leaders indeed...

I dey come

ok na

Oba Awon University

Chai

:DThank God I made front page

Back to d matter:

I knew right from the time OAU started the backdoor admission scam called pre-degree, that corruption had craftily crept in2 d system. PD became a means by which corrupt children wu couldn't take the pains to pass UTME gain unchecked admission into the once-hallowed institution.

Corrupt children will definitely end up as corrupt union leaders. That is the consequence of opening a back door to those who can pay.

The times have really changed, and the standard we set are fast becoming history....

However, I rep gr8 Ife, Oba Awon Universities, now and always.

Corruption at all levels....heads need to start rolling alredi so dat everybody will sit up and know dat stealing is now corruption. 2M for phone calls? are they calling NASA space station?

HALL’S COMMITTEE SPEAKS RE: STUDENT UNION LEADERS BUDGET N1.8M FOR PHONE CALLS. “Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly” - Mahatma Gandhi While perusing the news released by Punch newspaper dated 15 September, 2015, one is poised to see the ‘antithetical’ clamour for change in status quo of student’s unionism and outright chant for paradigm shift in the youths’ orientation on politics and good governance. However, Great Ife Students’ Union is known for its ‘ever-tatan’ attitude against oppression, exploitation and other forms of anti-masses concepts. It is thus a seminal importance for the Hall’s committee to voice out at this point so that the noble name of the Student’s union most especially Hall Executives Council will not be brought into mud. Contrary to the news that HEC has joined the bandwagon of exploiters, the Hall’s committee make bold to assert that we share no spoil or glory with the bloated proposed budget as the amounts proposed for phone calls by the eight ( Hall Executive Council total N292, 400 and the supposedly ratified total N45, 800 by Budget and Finance Committee. Admittedly, it is glaringly saddening to see the skyrocketed amounts slated for phone calls in the proposed budget of the other arms of the Student’s Union. The analysis of HEC proposed and ratified budget for phone calls for the parliamentary year is stated below: HALLS PROPOSED RATIFIED ANGOLA. 65,000 3,800 AKINTOLA. 35,000 7,600 ALUMNI 30,000 2,800 AWOLOWO 11,400 4,800 ETF 18,000 6,800 FAJUYI 71,200 4,300 MOREMI 39,800 6,900 MOZAMBIQUE 22,000 8,800 TOTAL: 292,400 45,800 It is pertinent to note that the pitiable and condemnable state of the eight Halls of residence prompted the HEC to map out project that are germane to the welfare of the students residing in the Halls when the management and Federal government have failed in their prerogatives. The question of where the fund to implement the proposed projects that amount to a total of 4million ranging from project to solve water scarcity, provision of more chairs and tables at Faj café, renovation of reading rooms and common rooms in the Halls, provision of more spreading lines, renovation of sporting facilities in the Halls etc. when the HEC major income comes from Hall dues and at least 15% of CEC budget. Hence, HEC traditionally source for funds to implement their projects and the means to get this done is through communication and transportation to reach out for sponsors. According to John F. Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’’, based on this veracity, the Hall Executive Council of the Students’ Union since its inception has always striven for better welfare for the students hostels as the Halls accommodate over 9000 students of the university rather than being a partaker of corruption and exploitation. It is important to end this release with a call on federal government and the University management to do the needful as poor funding of education and condemnable state of structures obtainable on OAU campus is quite becoming a routine.

Rubbish

Hmmm

issokay

And these are the leaders of tomorrow. these are the leaders that would be allocating undue advantage to theirselves, in d event they get to the national helms of affair in futures

This is outrageous...corruption everywhere.

of the greatest ife

Kkk

Dis one is strong

Hmmm!
I am not surprised at the action of the student union leaders; it is a reflection of the realities in our country. We would not expect anything less from the younger generations going by what is happening at the national, state and local government levels which are being directed by the parents of these students. As a matter of fact, they are supposed to surpass their parents. It goes to show what lies ahead for Nigeria and it is not in anyway cheering!

I was expecting to see d no of pages risen to abt 3 or 4. Lol

Hw are they planing to spend such an outrageous amount within d space of six month....... Leaders of 2moro