In The Midst Of Everyone Coming, Great Ife Beware

By Ayomide Emmanuel

The political atmosphere in the Students Community, Obafemi Awolowo University will take a new dimension in days to come and amid everything, students need to be more careful in choosing the next set of leaders.

Electioneering activities already started in full some weeks ago with departments and faculties preparing to conduct their respective elections to present the next set of leaders. 

Consequently, the GreatIFE Students' Union also constituted the Electoral Commission to see to the emergence of the election of new leaders. The commission has however swung into action again by lifting a ban on election campaigns. 

In the centre of everything, it's important to note that the political space will be muddy and flooded in days to come. And this can only mean that students will have to open their eyes and let Ephesians 1:18a be their anchor prayer and scripture so that their eyes may be opened and be flooded with light so that they may see Wolves disguising as Sheeps.

Remember that the thief only comes to steal, kill and destroy so you must be a sheep that knows the voice of his shepherd and harkens to it. Beware of politicians on Campus who unnecessarily become so close to you in this midst of time and season. 

Everyone is coming and coming but the question that should rise in the heart of everyone is where are they coming from? Are they coming from paradise or hell? Remember those who came before them and by now I believe we can conclude where they came from. 

GreatIFE Students Shine your eyes, do not be carried away by the activities of the election, you deserve leaders who will serve and not leaders who are all after the gain of entering into the building. Everyone wants to experience the opportunity of sitting down and making laws in an air-conditioned office. You deserve a VIBRANT STUDENTS REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL, one that will talk on matters pertaining to you, and put the executive councils in check and not one that will be engrossed in leadership struggle and forget to call for sitting. 

Students in the Hall Of Residence should elect a Chairman and Chairperson that will see to their welfare and not one that even the grasses in the halls will be taller than weeks after resumption hereby making Snakes and other dangerous reptiles the occupant of the hostel while you're the squatter. 

To everyone coming also, know that to be leaders, you must become servants first. You must not conform to the status quo especially if it entails ruling through coercion and unjust deeds over your subordinates. A leader’s credibility is based on how he/she upholds truth and fairness over his organisation and is meant to be humble and not boast.

They also encourage others and do not belittle their followers just because of their lack of capacity for something. They see potential in the uniqueness of their followers. You must be ready and open to taking advice so your ideas can become limitless. You must think of innovative ways to improve yourself and your followers remember where there is no guidance the people fall, But in an abundance of counsellors, there is victory.

Finally, in case you're coming and you don't know where you're going again, it's not too late to go back to where you are coming from and let those who have truly come to serve diligently attain the position of authority.

Great Ife Students' Union Power Tussle: Students At The Receiving End

By Ayomide Emmanuel

The political atmosphere of the Great Ife Students' Union has been muddy and rough in the past few days as a result of power tussling among the union leaders. Hell was let loose and neither of the actors involved are ready to bend for their perceived opponents. 

Trouble started on Wednesday, 30 November 2022 at the congress which was held at Afrika Amphitheater presided over by the president of the Union, Comrade Olayiwola Folahan Festus "Reform" where the speaker of the Great Ife SRC was accused of misplaced priority and abuse of power as regards the allocation of the Students' Union Building Bar which was against the section 54 of the Great Ife Students' Union Sacrosanct constitution which states that "the union building shall be maintained by the Central Executive Council which shall make necessary allocations, partition and adornment when and where necessary" This section of the constitution was capitalized on as the speaker was said to be suspended. However, this didn't go well with some honourable members of the house as they were seen showing solidarity for the speaker. 

This power tussle has further extended to the leadership of the house as the deputy speaker of the house honourable Ganiyu Yussuf O "KOB" in a Press Release titled "Duty Calls, Therefore, I Answer" decided to abide by his oath of office as an honourable and a principal officer of the Parliament to defend the constitution of Great Ife and to respect the resolution of the congress, the highest making decision body of the Union. According to him, the suspension of the speaker by the congress must be respected and in line with section 11'subsection 11 of the constitution, he shall humbly act as the acting speaker of the Parliament. 

Barely 24 hours, the speaker of the Parliament, Rt. Hon Ajadi Toheeb Babatunde in a Press Release titled "The Sanity Of Our Union Must Be Preserved" said the congress which led to the suspension was filled with so many constitutional aberrations as the President himself singlehandedly declared the suspension based on the submission of a congressman without any motion raised to the effect of the submission.

 

In all this, there's a saying that a house divided against itself shall not stand.  While some Union leaders are claiming to be for Paul, some others claim to queue behind Apollos. But, can they be reminded that it is Paul that sowed the seed, Apollos watered the ground but God made the plant grow?

We need to ask ourselves if the Great Ife Union is for Students or Graduates. It's so disheartening to see people who are regarded as leaders being the major cause of trouble and chaos on campus. Some of these graduates were seen behaving in an uncultured manner at the recently held parliamentary sitting justifying their action based on the excuse that the speaker that has been suspended shouldn't preside over a sitting.  One needs to ask if this set of people has forgotten the motto of the university. 

Amidst all this, students are facing several issues ranging from the irregularities of prices of goods and services in butteries on campus, epileptic power and water supply, and exploitation of students by bike men who disregarded the pricelist set for them by the Union. While it is expected that the students Union Leaders should call them to order, they are busy wielding power amidst themselves, a show of who's more powerful. One must not forget that while all this goes on,  exams are fast approaching. How do students who can't read due to epileptic power supply survive or are they going to be filling out google forms every time?

 Truly, if the foundation is bad what can the righteous do?

Maybe someone should remind the Union leaders that beyond the newly renovated and beautiful Students' Union Building, Great Ife Students needs action that can be proactive and when tested through fire will still come out glowing.  Beyond the flying around of Press Release, can their proactive actions fly around the nook and corner of the OAU community and the ears of every student? 

Finally, an adage says; where two elephants fight, the grasses suffer the consequence. This is exactly the case on Great Ife Campus as the power tussle automatically places students at the receiving end while an average student on campus can't differentiate between when there was a Union and when there was none as the union expected to fight for students is fighting itself. The Union leaders forgot about the promises they made to the students during the electioneering process, promising heaven and earth.

 But is reform really reforming? and in all this, where Is the Salvation?

July 10: The Night That Brought Freedom To GREATIFE

 Today marks the 23rd year of demise of our martyrs whose sacrifices generations of Great Ife community keep and will keep enjoying forever.

Today, we remember OAU-5; today, we remember George Yemi Iwilade (AFRIKA), the Secretary General, Great Ife Students'Union 1998/1999 session. 

The freedom we enjoy now on  OAU campus didn't come on a platter of Gold, it came with the massacre of our heroes who were murdered in cold blood by the black Axe Confraternity who invaded OAU campus. The massacre led to OAU Zero tolerance to cultism and intimidation.  

However, it is pathetic that this ground of freedom and liberty has turned to the city of fear. It is on this note that I encourage all and sundry to maintain the sacred traditions of our dear Union and stand against all forms of oppression and victimization. If Great Ife would remain great, it lies with you and I. 

Everyone must be security conscious and must be ready to stand up and fight against Cultism and intimidation on OAU campus. The labour of our heroes must not be in vain, the OAU-5 death must not be vain. We must work hand in hand with the security unit of the Students' Union and make sure our campus is safe and we will still remain safe.

Great Ife! Stand up, we have nothing to lose but our chains. We must uphold the legacy laid by these heroes for the sake of future. We did not inherit today from our forefathers but borrowed today from generations yet unborn. Afrika and all have done theirs, now is our time... What shall we tell the future generations? Arise, Great Ife.

#AfrikaLivesOn
#SayNoToCultism