Obafemi Awolowo University sudden rise to media prominence in an examination period is not unconnected to the mega budget meant for phone calls of the Students' Union leaders.
Interestingly, as the Central Executive Council (CEC) led by the President and the Student Representative Council (SRC) led by the much embattled Speaker continue to deny the report, the Hall Executive Councils of the eight (8) halls of residence under the aegis of Hall's Committee have come out to confess and also blame the CEC for the 'skyrocketed budget'.
Below is the press statement from the committee:
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 (8) 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.
Signed:
Hall’s Committee
It will be recalled that some days ago, news media reported that the OAU Students' Union budget for phone calls with the Speaker of the SRC leading the chat with a proposed phone call budget of N232,500 and N144,000 eventually ratified.
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