The Welfare Officer of the Great Ife Students' Union, Comrade Ajewole Martins O. a.k.a Ojogbon has finally spoken on the current crisis rocking the Union. Below was his Release:
OJOGBON WEPT 1.
“Take the Union back please” – Rotr. Adekola Abd-Wahab Abisoye.
“Proscribe the Union please”- Rotr. Adekola Abd-Wahab Abisoye.
“I think the Union has over stayed its welcome… it is now bringing shame rather than glory… It would be expedient for the VC/Management to take it back” – Nnamscopic Da Legend
I copied all these quotes from Great Ife Facebook page showing that some students expressing their dissatisfaction to what is happening recently.
I am writing this as Ajewole Martins O. (Ojogbon) not as welfare officer but as a student of this great citadel of learning who has freedom of expression. As a freethinker who holds being objective as important as my life, there is no room for subjectivity in my dictionary. As human being who thinks before acting and not dogs who are only trained to bark at whether good or bad things. As my independent self and not a tool in the hands of others, as someone who loves agitations and investigations and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error."
I wept neither because I was beaten nor because I experienced tsunami academically but I wept as a result of a thoughtful journey on the happening on this campus as concerning our enviable and cherished union that some people think is their birthright. After this thoughtful journey, these are questions that clouded my thoughtful mind: are we truly intellectuals? Is there any difference between personality and leadership? Are we having students union or students’ government? What is the purpose for unionism? Is there no difference between unionism and hooliganism? When does personal interest become public/general interest? Are we truly leaders of tomorrow? Are we prepared for that tomorrow? Why do we have constitution and is it truly sacrosanct? Is there a difference between constitution and tradition/convention? Why should our moral value eroded to this extent? Why are our minds more prepared for lies rather than for the truth? Why are our past leaders sincerely insincere with this current generation? Why must I share the same belief with you when I have my own independent mind? Why must it be a crime for not sharing the same view with you? Why do dogs fight dogs where there are wolves? Why do we always think of actions with no regard for their consequences? Why do some people allow emotion to rule them rather than reasoning? Why do some people cover their eyes with blanket of ideas in the presence of reality? Why is it so easy for people to tell lies than saying the truth?
Without boring you with unnecessary story, I will like to do justice to these questions raised by my thoughtful mind during its sojourn base on these
points:
Ibikunle; not that vandalizer of students’ union building but the president
My advice for you is that: “Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel”.—Mohammed
“Everything counts for gain when we are cosmically awake. Nothing counts, unless we are awake. No enjoyments last, no successes satisfy, no gains have meaning unless accomplished in a state of wakefulness”. —Henry David Thoreau
I happened to be one of the students in Angola under Ibikunle chairmanship, so I know much of him in term of leadership than his personality but you cannot separate the two because one is the product of another and are interdependent. So, in as much as I believe that change is a constant thing, I still believe in his leadership because he was tested and trusted then; we still have living witnesses (Angolans 2010/2011) who can testify to this assertion I made. But Ibikunle, may I tell you today as a matter of fact, that the same set of people that castigated you for your stand as Angola hall chairman then during the acceptance fee struggle in 2011 are the same set of people working for the failure of this administration. You ask how I knew; I attended the meeting then in Angola at basketball court which started around 1.00am on the 30th September, 2011. Part of our discussions was how to ensure that Ibikunle does not assume any post on this campus again for his stand during the struggle.
Some of those that were in that meeting then are the leaders of these people causing trouble every day and the reason why I pulled out of this group then was that I asked myself must Ibikunle’s belief of non-violence becomes his crime? If you doubt this, feel free to approach me for the evidence.
Though Human beings are not perfect and that is why I will not persecute Ibikunle for his excesses as claimed by some people but my problem with Ibikunle is that he hardly Listen to advice; mostly the one from selfless elderly ones.
Olori… the Moremi and Efunsetan Aniwura of our time.
Let me congratulate you for the successful freshers orientation programme.
For the people who know history, you may say Ojogbon is drunk for the contradiction in the statement above but the statement is evidently a true picture of our vice president. Though there is no universally accepted definition for good or bad things but I still so much believe that you cannot be the two at the same time for the same people. Therefore, I put it to Olori to stop being chameleon, stop playing on Great Ife students’ intelligence and stop your bat-like appearance.” LET US ALL AGREE THAT NO SAINT EXISTS AMONG US; THE LEADERSHIP AND WE ALLOW TIME TO JUDGE US”. I am happy that I know your good side and I am much better as I now know your bad side; this is part of what I personally appreciate the University of Experience for.
If not hypocrisy, why should Olori, one of the advocates of Aluta Infinito during school fee struggle openly, be the first executive to leave, not just campus but, Ife on the 20th of June even when we had all the HEC on ground executing Aluta infinito and to the world, she is the warrior.
If not hypocrisy, why should Olori called for congress on the 2nd of October for the problem which was obviously almost solved and she was aware of that fact based on what I told her. Is it to claim the glory because she even said it in her address in halls of resident tour that the problem was resolved as a result of the kangaroo congress she called on that particular day just for her to rubbish the effort of other executives for 5 days.
Olori, as I (Ojogbon) signed social contract of protecting students’ interest in terms of general welfare, so you did for academic welfare. These are the questions Great Ife students have for you:
1. What is happening as regard Ser001 result for last session which has not been released for some departments even after the closing of e-portal for course registration for this semester?
2. What moves have you made to question the deplorable condition of our lecture theatres for example the roof leaking 1000 seaters hall, Aglt C etc.?
3. Are you aware that our current part 1 students taking SER001 are now being forced to buy textbook; even if you have used one?
4. What moves have you made towards the sudden change of CHM101 questions from objective to theory?
5. What was your contribution during the late course registration saga experienced by some of our students?
6. What was your contribution to the alleviation of the suffering youth corps in embryo in ensuring they are mobilized?
7. In one of your recent article you mentioned poor grading, what move have you made to address that? Oh, you are doing that on Facebook as you did apologized for slapping Lord Chancellor on baseless allegation?
8. Are you aware of the abnormality going on in the school library nowadays; sending students out of library around 7.00pm for no reasons? What moves have you made?
*** just to mention but few!
All these questions raised are academic welfare which is primary to your office as vice president as our constitution established in Article iii section 25 (3), but you never attended to any of them. Maybe because all these issues are not pecuniary?. Or attending to them cannot lead to the impeachment of the current president so that you can become the next president; at least your aim is to break the record since 1985? What a misplacement of priority!
My candid advice for you ma, glories are for those who earn them through hardwork and not for the receivers through propagandas because it will not last with them. So, try to settle down for the real business for the office of the Vice President in which you have been chosen to function rather than flexing of muscle. Only Almighty God give power to his chosen ones on earth and if only the chosen ones submit themselves to be empowered by God.
I will like to conclude this part with these quotes. Though, the quotes are for intellects that can read, digest and understand.
He/she who floats with the current, who does not guide himself/herself according to higher principles, who has no ideal, no convictions—such a man/woman is . . . a thing moved, instead of a living and moving being—an echo, not a voice. The man/woman who has no inner-life is a slave of his surroundings as the barometer is the obedient servant of the air. —Henri-Frederic Amiel
My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group. There is much less competition. -- Indira Gandhi.
Other Central Executive Council members
“A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer and thus emerges stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.” Nelson Mandela.
“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”- Nelson Mandela.
"All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership."— John Kenneth Galbraith
Well, I do not have much to say on this than just to give an advisory note that we must not forget the oaths we signed and the social contract we signed with the generality of the Great Ife Students that believed in us and entrusted us with their votes and not some few self-centered, interest-driven students. So, we must not be discouraged, deterred and lose focus in discharging our duty diligently and in good faith.
To be continued
