AN OPEN LETTER TO THE STUDENT UNION
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN

Monday April 18th; 2016.

The President of Student Union,

Kaduna Nzeogwu Building,

University of Ilorin,
Ilorin,

Nigeria.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE STUDENT UNION
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN

Mr. President, with great humility, extreme
sobriety and solidarity, I implore you to go
through this correspondence with great sense of
objectivity and give it a swift demonstration.

Mr.
President, a friend of mine said and I quote
“Students' activism can no longer be perceived in
our schools, perhaps Students Unionism died with
Abacha”. I exclaimed, and been an intellectual, I
queried as to why he made such proclamations or
rather assertion.

My better
by far President, He said and I quote: “I have
travelled far and wide and I have been kept
apprise of all the happenings on Nigerian
campuses” and his summary goes thus:
My idea of the Students' Union Government was a
union which comprises a group of students with
similar goals and objectives echoed in one voice.


Alas, my definition or description of Students’
unionism has long been reviewed by
the Students' "unionists" as a body comprising of
students who delve mistakenly into school politics
to amass wealth for themselves, drive around our
campuses in luxury van, and live in well furnished
rooms despite the lamentable state of fellow
student welfare status.


Students' unionism has
been typical of an oxymoron because studentship
in recent times has dissociated itself from the
essence of unionism. It is quite
lamentable and laughable that problems in higher
institutions brews up as the population of
students increases in tens over the years. The
offices of students' union officials have become
too juicy, leaving Nigerian students in
the hands of leaders who are shoddier.
Leadership ought to be purpose driven
and not that which is backed by financial
appetite.


He went further, as he quotes Albert Einstein
when been offered the position
of Israel presidency, he declined the offer saying
“he lacks the natural
aptitude to handle official matters’’. The case of
student’s leaders in our era
today is quite different from what we originally
envisaged, as they are
sponsored by godfathers in schools' governing
council or "over graduate
students".


"The Over graduate students" are
those alumni you see on our
campuses who come to our campuses to invest in
students' union elections,
all these has given rise to mediocrity in students'
union government.


The interference of school authorities in students'
politics is also a plague to
students' activism, the level of tribalism and
nepotism that plays on our
campuses is colossal as certain positions are
reserved for students of host
communities. Often times on our campuses there
are clashes between
school's anointed candidates and the Oba's as the
case may be. The palaces
have become determining factor of the lives of
young students who are
christened "leaders of tomorrow".


The deplorable
state of our hostels, Lecture
theatres and other school infrastructures as of
today is not only due to the
bad governance of the Nation; A portion of it is
given birth to by the Student
leaders we have on our campuses; As they have
refused to speak for the
students who have no other choice than finding
comfort in bed bugs ravaged
mattresses, over crowded hostel rooms, bad
toilets and open air bathrooms
(student have their bath outside).



Students' Associations in the Departmental and
Faculty levels are the most
handicapped on our campuses, their objectives
are simple - host faculty and
departmental football competition, produce T-
shirts and collect dues from
which a good proportion of the dues collected
leave students' coffers to
faculty deans and Head of Departments.


These
faculty leaders ought to
channel the challenges of their students to the
Student Union Government
when they can no longer contain the pressure.
Contrary to the objective of a
sane students' union, leaders protect their GP's to
the detriment of students
they lead. Victimization of students has become
common epidemic on our
campuses where students are victimized for not
dancing to the tune of greedy
lecturers and sexually voracious lecturers who
have revolved their offices into
hotel rooms, when these innocent young women
die of abortion their families
become pained and when their wombs are
destroyed, they become prey to
their future husbands.


The students' leaders have not been able to tame
these unscrupulous
elements in the name of academics. Arise Oh
Comrades! We must not be
dumb or feign ignorance of these plague,
thousands of students united cannot
be defeated by a few potbellied administrators
who know of our plights but
have not been informed with cries and
demonstrations of angry students who
have not enjoyed the true benefits of studentship.


The school is a micro reflection of the larger
society and if we fail as
intellectuals the society will die. We must not wait
on our "leaders" but on the
miraculous spirit of "Aluta". Let the unschooled
man not say thank God I
didn't go to school. We must talk, write and stood
firmly on been an objective
intellectuals. Let us all sing Aluta Continua,
Victoria Ascerta...



Mr. President, as we all know this is better by far,
and as we all bellow for a
best by far Student Union, I believe the above
claim are characteristics of
Student Union on various campuses of the
federation less that of University of
Ilorin. In making myself more objective I will
implore you once again to
correspond and deliberate with all other Central
Executive Council members,
the Senate Council and the Judicial Council to
respond swiftly to the following
questions as I strongly believe your swift response
to them will amount to
promoting University of Ilorin as a peace loving
university.



Before I come
forward with my questions sir, I will like to tender
my appraisal towards
student welfarism as being duly deserved by
some of your executive
members.


The case of Mr. Ridwan Adegbola of
Faculty of Law, as it was been
attended to by the Vice President, College of
Health Science after been beaten
to coma deserves an applaud, as it was a display
of welfarism at its peak. I
will also like to applaud your administrations
contingency plan towards curbing
criminal activities at Oke-Odo and some strategic
places off campus. We
implore you all, to keep striving and keep
achieving.




Mr. President, my questions goes thus:
1. Invoking Article 5 of the Student Union
Constitution, the union is said to
constitute in hierarchy, The Congress, The Central
Executive Council (CEC),

The Senate Council (SC) and the Judicial Council.
It is quite unfortunate that
“The Congress”, in which its welfarism is the sole
responsibility of the Student
Union at large as been derided.

It is clearly stated
in the constitution, that
“The first Ordinary Congress shall be held in the
first semester and the second
congress shall be held in the second semester
before the expiration of the
office of the CEC” – Article 6A item 4.


Why as the
Congress being sidelined?
Am sure you won’t be wary of the power of the
congress as depicted by
Article 6C once you are not putting a square peg
in a round hole.

Mr.
President, Can you please tell us all where and
when the last congress of the
Student Union was being held?



2. According to Article 12A item 5 of the
constitution, “The Senate President
shall be the chief interpreter of the constitution”.
Mr. President, I will like you
to indulge the knowledge of the Senate President
of Student Union Senate
Council, the Chief Judge and the Attorney General
of the Judicial Council of
the Union as Article 15F item 1 of the constitution
gave them the privilege to
respond to questions raised against the viability of
the constitution.


I will be
questioning the viability of the constitution as
regards the following portion of
the Constitution relating to electioneering process
:

a. Part II of the Electoral Act, item 10 (II) C – “The
members shall be any
matriculated students who have spent at least (2)
academic sessions”


b. Part VI of the Electoral Act, item 24 (b) – States
that a person shall be
eligible to contest for the office of the President of
the Student’s union if “He
must have spent at least (2) complete academic
sessions”


c. Part VI of the Electoral Act, item 25 (b) – States
that a person shall be
eligible to contest for the office of the Vice-
President (Permanent Site) of the
Student’s union if “She must have spent at least
(2) complete academic
sessions”


d. Part VI of the Electoral Act, item 26 (b) – States
that a person shall be
eligible to contest for the office of the Vice-
President (College of Health
Sciences) of the Student’s union if “She must
have spent at least (2)
complete academic sessions”


e. Part VI of the Electoral Act, item 27 (b) – States
that a person shall be
eligible to contest for the office of the General
Secretary and Financial
Secretary of the Student’s union if “He/She must
have spent at least (2)
complete academic sessions”
Mr. President, Mr. Senate President, Mr. Chief
Judge and Mr. Attorney General,
Please tell us all why and how the constitution
should sidelined some student
from contesting even though they are in the
same level with UTME
Contestant?


The question raised in here, is a
matter of urgency and one which
demand swift, objective and peaceful response as
“all Direct Entry applicants
of the University” are been obviously sidelined
and dis-enfranchised of their
basic right to contest for all those posts in
question. That is our own view, and
we anticipate that you and all in question as to
this regard will prove us all
wrong.




3. Article 10G item 3 of the Constitution state
clearly that the Welfare
Secretary Permanent Site and College of Health
Sciences “shall ensure that
the sanitation in the university be conducive for
the health of the members”.


I
will like to bring to your notice that which is of no
news to you sir, that the
most provoking toilet facility on the school
campus is located in the most
strategic place on campus, the arena where at
least 50% of the school
population take their daily meal – Our dear
Bukateria (BUKA).


With great
sense of been health conscious Sir, even a dead
man will come to live if he
visit this toilet. Sir, as if that is not enough, it is of
no news to you too that
toilets in various faculties are in a very bad shape.


I will also like to inform you
of the fact that most of the toilets on the campus
“walk-way” are nothing but
a swimming pool in which you have to swim in
your way to put them to use. It
is of no news that university of Ilorin Student
always go on queue to get
anything, Sir, it is retrogressive for student of the
“better by far” University to
go on queue before making use of the toilet even
at the school Central
Mosque; On this note, I will be grateful if you can
provide us answers as to
why the Male toilet of Block 1 (Walk-Way) is
always on lock down?


Also, have
you not been kept apprise of all this? If yes; why
are we still in this mess?
Because, it might have not come to your notice
that student are now nursing
toilet disease despite the fact that they have paid
for this services and some
are spending more than they should as they have
to go off campus to answer
the call of nature all because they are wary of
toilet diseases.



4. Article 10F item 5 of the Constitution as stated
in black and white that the
Financial Secretary of the Student Union “shall
publish the union’s account as
it stands every month throughout the session,
and paste such publication on
all faculty notice boards with the supervision of
the Public Relation Officers”
of the Union.


Why as this role of this portion of
the Constitution not being
played by the two offices in delegation? Are there
any clandestine and
surreptitious motives as to this regards?




5. Article 20C item 2 and 3 of the Student Union
Constitution depict
respectively that “Thirty five percent of the total
revenue shall be used for
capital project” and “Thirty five percent of the
total revenue shall be used for
other expenses”.


Mr. President, can you please
devour us all with what the
Student Union is having in plan as regard this
portion of the Constitution? Mr.
President Sir, we are all aware of the fact that we
were all coerced to make
payment for “Sweat Shirts” which am sure almost
the entire school populace
never bargained for; Sir, are you aware of the fact
that we will make such
payment beforehand?



If Yes, When are we going
to have the so called shirt? If
No, what have you done to balance the situation
as regard the sweat shirt?




6. Invoking Article 20D item 2 of the Student
Union Constitution, “Copies of the
approve budget shall be conspicuously (evidently,
visibly and noticeably)
displayed on all notice boards for a period of at
least two (2) weeks from the
approved date”.


Mr. President, You and I both
know that this portion of the
constitution as not been put to practice. My
question to this regards include:


a. When and where was the budget sitting of
your administration being held?

b. If we are to assume that there was a budget
sitting and this crucial portion
of the constitution is being devoid. Can you
please explain to us the motive
behind why the entire member of the Union are
not being breastfeed of this
crucial information?


c. If it is not in your positon Sir, as to providing
answer to (a) and (b) above,
whose obligation is it to have bring to all member
of the Union the budget of
the Union for the Session as stated in Article 20D
item 2 of the Student Union
Constitution?



7. Mr. President, I will like to bring you up to
speed as regard the issue of
nothing more than a hundred and eight (108)
duly matriculated student of the
just concluded admission exercise of the
University, in which each of those
student are tagged to have secured their
admission via a fraudulent means as
proclaimed by the University Student Disciplinary
Committee (SDC).


Mr.
President, as at this present moment, either those
student are guilty or not,
you have not issued any presidential concern to
those who have elected you to
sing out their voice in case situation of this caliber
surfaces, I presumed that
is a blow on your presidency.

As I have stated
earlier on, they were all duly
matriculated and we both knew what that
depicts. Can you with great sense of
welfarism tell us all why you have kept this under
the carpet as if it is not an
issue that needs sagacious treatment? Mr.
President, as we all know that fact
will always speak for itself, I have made my
findings and I have been
convinced beyond doubts that not a single soul
out of the afore mentioned
One hundred and Eight (108) student in question
was duly admitted.


I made
cross reference with Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board (JAMB)
database so as to be sure of my sources, and also,
I am convinced beyond
doubt that Nigerian University Commission (NUC)
knows nothing about this
student’s admission as it was neither authorized
by them nor JAMB; as regard
this fact, and as we all know the country at large
is in its trying time and as
we all are facing corruption to its last root, that it
should be uprooted, I am
given the University Management an unreserved
prestige, kudos and
appreciation for laying good example as to the
fact they have shown vividly
that the acclaimed “probitas doctrina” was not an
accident of history.


They
have shown a great character. Mr. President, you
and I both know that the
total number of student in question were not
involved in the engineering
process of this shameful situation. My sources
proclaimed that it was
orchestrated by some Staff of the university and
as at this present moment
some have been apprehended.



Mr. President, on
behalf of the entire Student
populace of the university we want you to provide
us the full details of all
those who are involved in this shameful act as
you and I know they want to
drag our good name into a dirty mud. Lastly sir, It
is disheartened that after
series of encounter between all the Student’s in
question and the SDC, the
fate of any of those student as not been revealed
to them. Are they going to
be rusticated? Are they going to be expelled? Are
they going to continue with
their programme? Are they going to be refunded?
This are questions I keep
asking myself,


Mr. President, being a progressive
minded intellectual of this
great citadel of intelligential I believe you can
make a plea on behave of this
student, as that is the only reasonable approach
for both side in question as
to this regard.


Mr. President, please liaise with the
Dean of Student Affairs,
the Dean of each of the faculties each of the
student’s in question belongs to,
their HOD’s and if possible their Level adviser.


I
strongly believe it will reap a
good fruit. Mr. President, I have been in contact
with some of the Student’s in
question and I have gathered that some among
this student’s if not been
pardoned by the University will never see the four
walls of the University, I
mean never in their lifetime.



They are hoping if
the university could cut them a
deal, place them in the University remedial school
or in any of the school
programme, or even ask them to go and rewrite
JAMB/IJMB, and if they were
able to seat and pass another JAMB/IJMB, the
University will offer them
admission as a price for all the ordeal they have
witnessed as regard this
issue.



Mr. President, I am sure the plea is not
going to be something easy, but
I will be very grateful if you can give my advice a
trial and history will never
forget you tried your best even when it seems no
way out, and the children
and children children, of every one of the student
in question will never forget
your impact in their life.


Mr. President, like you have always encouraged us
all not to be defeated by
our sense of observation and as one of your
presidential candidate, before you
were being elected into office, proclaimed that we
should all try in our possible
best not to lose our sanity. Sir, with great sense of
not being defeated by our
sense of observation and not losing our sanity. On
behalf of the entire student
populace of the University, we request your
acknowledgement and swift
demonstration’s as regard the content of this pen
pal.


May Allah (God) bless University of Ilorin,

May Allah (God) bless Kwara State,

May Allah (God) bless Nigeria.

From a concerned and observing pen pusher,

I
remain humble and I will never
fumble.
Akeukanwo Sulaiman Abiodun Al-Qalam (The-Pen)
300 level, Department of Computer Science,
Faculty of Communication and Information
Science,
University of Ilorin,
Ilroin, Kwara State.
# ThePen

Lol...better by far!!!