In a Press Release issued by the Central Executive Council of the OAU Students' Union, certain clarifications were made on issues bordering the Union ranging from Neonatar’s eviction, the allocation of SUB bar to the removal of persons from the Great Ife Students' Union facebook page. Below is the Release:
FROM THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 29/6/2015
PRESS RELEASE
THE TRUTH AS IT WERE
Gentlemen of the press, the conscious republic of Great Ife students, the working masses, the oppressed and oppressors and above all the down trodden. It is apposite at this crucial time of the Great Ife Students’ Union that the union amidst pool of hypothetical turbulence and emerging realities, the union comes to an unfounded truth that silence is no longer golden. In the last few weeks, a lot of waters have passed under the bridge and these waters if not properly channelled pose the future threat of floods. Issues ranging from Neonatar’s eviction, the allocation of SUB bar the removal of persons from the facebook page, the absence of union officer from the “handing over meeting”, the new students ’ union and challenges. At this juncture, I will begin to take it one after the other for the sake of clarity.
ON INIMICAL WELFARE CONDITION
“The welfare state is the farewell state.”
It is no gainsaying that the welfare condition students of this citadel of intellectualism have been subjected is not just sordid but regrettably appalling. The shortage in supply of water which is much of an herb or chocolate-like colour is gradually becoming a mainstay of water supply married with the erratic and superbly-epileptic power supply which could almost cause downward seizure whenever there is a heavy downpour. The students’ body language is very lucid. The discontentment expressed by Great Ife Students is an evidence of an imminent radical action which is just a matter of days from now. The students of the republic of Great Ife having duly paid the astronomical and pocket-tearing fees as charged by the university management expect an astronomical increase in their welfare. It is so unfortunate that reverse is the case here. The popular slogan now is “In OAU the more we pay, the less we get”
OUR DEMANDS;
• An increase in the supply of colourless, odourless and tasteless water
• Constant and regular electricity supply
• Provision of palliative Hostel-based generators
• Construction of more hostel for students’ accommodation
We will not sacrifices the welfare of our students on the sacred alter of stable academic calendar. We know how paramount the welfare condition is to academic success.
ON REINSTATEMENT
The June 30th deadline issued by the congress of Great Ife students is fast approaching. We will not recline to start practical action towards the reinstatement of the suspended students as we are already making preparations to do. By June 30, we will have exhausted the grace of consultation and dialogue. We are very expectant that the university management will yield to our demand before sorting to the last options.
ON NEONATAR’S EVICTION AND HIS THREAT TO THE PRO
Greatest Ife, Articulate Ife, it is better for this information to be late than never. It is a testament of truth that “where information dies, rumour thrives”. I will use this medium to explain to the general public the grey area on the eviction of Neonatar from the Union building. Upon assumption of office on the 28th march 2015, the Central Executive Council (CEC) took a bold decision to relief the Union building of unnecessary occupation and erection of illegal structures which was an integral part of the agenda of renovation of the building .A month after the above date, the leadership of the CEC through the office of Secretary General served an EVACUATION NOTICE to all the occupants of the Union building of which the Neonatar venture was part. Neonatar occupies an illegal structure which he inherited from the Ibikunle-led administration. However, that structure was directly opposite the office of the Director of sport, it was visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the DOS lacked privacy and ventilation. Neonatar once pleaded with the Public relations officer to switch office with the DOS{Sport} so he can continue to occupy the structure but I declined due to the location of the office. When the time for eviction had lapsed, Mr neonatar instead of honourably vacating the structure resulted to cheap blackmail and unneeded propaganda. He misinformed the generality of Great Ife Students that the union officer destroyed his board, he went ahead promising to sponsor Anti-TY tenure News, after comically referring to himself as the media prime-minister, this act of pure un-professionalism leaves me pondering if this was the same brain behind the great initiative which I so much admired. Greatest Ife, I made bold to assert that Neonatar was not evicted from the Union building because of political or personal vendetta or a product of witch-hunting as he had claim in several press outfit but because of the renovation process of the union building which we believe is long overdue. As an individual who believe in the spirit of prosperity and natural justice, I leave Neonatar to these justice who adjudge without impunity. However, I have found a veritable ground in my heart to forgive him despite his threat and attack on my personality and office.
ON THE REMOVAL OF PERSONS FROM FACEBOOK
If facebook were to be twitter, the name TY, Immanuel Kant and Hon.Seun would have been the most trending name on the social media. The rumour on campus travelled like wildfire that the honourable Public Relations Officer of the most radically organised union, the Great Ife Students’ Union had turned into an Alpha and Omega and Adolf Hitler on the facebook page thus removing anyone who speaks against the TY-led administration. If there was any report that got me aghast, it was this. I began to wonder when I can remove people from the page when my status is not different from any other student on the page. I make it emphatic to say here that I AM LIKE ANYOTHER STUDENT ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE. I AM NOT THE ADMIN OF THE PAGE NOR IS ANY CEC MEMBER AN ADMIN NOT EVEN TY, THE PRESIDENT. There is a need to say here that that page was created by F-Jay (The Students’ Union President 2010/2011) and he is yet to hand over the admin of the page to any union officer. This is one of the major reasons we clamour for proper handing over of union records. Same rules apply to the former PRO who is yet to hand over the Union blog, the BBM Channel and some other vital information outlet.
ON THE STUDENTS’ UNION BAR AND EVICTION OF S.O.J
The Students’ Union bar and the eviction of S.O.J is one of most topical issue in the past few weeks. However, on this issue, the inimical silence of the students’ union is not just “criminal” but modestly and morally unjust. Silence seems no longer effective as a golden tool on this issue. When the new administration came on board, we discovered that one appalling section of the union building was the Union Bar and odorous toilet. We however came to discover that the bar was been managed as at that time by 2 individuals, Bolster and S.O.J. Our investigation confirmed that this unholy alliance was a marriage of inconvenience from inception. As an administration which strives to achieve and maintain integrity, after the evacuation letter sent out on the 28th April, 2015, the bar was declared vacant and proposals were submitted to the office of the Secretary General. Five (5) individuals submitted proposals and showed interest in running the bar. On June 11, the Interview was conducted and all five individuals showed up for the Interview including the former occupants- S.O.J and Bolster. It is very important that I state here emphatically that all the 9 CEC Members and 3 members of the leadership of the SRC were present and collectively we made decisions. It was agreed upon that the bar would be shut down after the interview pending the time when the new owners will be declared by the leadership of the union.
It was however very surprising that the Welfare director in person of the Secre Nene unilaterally decided to open the bar on June 18 for Mr. S.O.J thus almost resulting to unnecessary uproar. Greatest Ife let it be said that Mr. S.O.J is no longer in charge of the bar because the union have to come to discover that these two occupants did not manage the bar well when it was under their care. As i write, the bar is under renovation and experiencing massive facelift. Mr S.O.J later came out with the claim that he paid two (2) years rent to the former administration and at that stance he is still in charge of the bar until his rent expires. However, this act by the two parties is tantamount to fraud and intellectual scam. The Students’ Union have decided to pay the “purported balance” which has been considered the bone of contention only for Mr. SOJ to show up on Thursday, 25 June 2015 with some non students who look terrifying and horrendous and totally un-welcoming to students.
Greatest Ife, Articulate Ife, the truth has got just a single colour and it’s the only cure to open wound. The students’ union, having duly considered issues centred on security, social responsibility and antecedents in the union decided to issue the bar to another individual.
I use this medium to inform the generality of Great Ife Students that renovation works have began in the bar and in coming weeks the expected facelift in the union bar will be seen by all and sundry.
I must record an unfortunate security development. On the day Mr SOJ arrived the building with this non- students, security report from the interim members of the security committee was that this guys came in with firm arms and another diabolical aids. The interim security committee were able to apprehend two of these guys when the welfare officer led some guys to break the security room and aided their escape. I must say that the decision to change the management of the bar is a unanimous decision of the majority of union offers present at the interview.
The sacred image of the union is the ultimate price at this point in time. i must say that the promises made to the generality of Great Ife Students at the altar of electioneering and on the podium of our swearing-in will be fully implemented. We beseech Great Ife Students to continue to shower on us the love, trust and unceasing prayers as we continue to stir the ship of the most radically organised union.
REINSTATE OAU 6
ALUTA CONTINUA!!!
VICTORIA ASCERTA
EMMANUEL OJEDOKUN (IMMANUEL KANT)
PRO
OMOTAYO AKANDE (TY)
PRESIDENT
