THE HISTORICAL GENERAL MEETING OF OUR UNION.

I wrote in my diary; “Saturday 27… Congress” We are barely three weeks into the administration but it is like a year already. I mean that’s what I feel. I resolved to create a diary for myself on social media.

The purpose is just to feed people back about how the administration is being run. I took the example of Governor Ahok. The governor of Jakatar. He would visually record all his meetings and make them available online for people to watch. He made all members of his cabinet declare their assets constantly and regularly.

However, Ahok has a problem. He says everything the way everything is. I have never chaired or moderated a Congress before. I have only addressed one… For half an hour.

Partly why the Vice-Chancellor could refer to me as “the 200-level boy without beards.”

The Vice-Chancellor threatened to expel me. That makes the 40th time. Probably. In history, we call something lay investiture. The Pope could make a king useless by deploying lay investiture. So they threaten to erring kings with it. Well, that’s by the way.

If anybody victimises me,… I will report the person to God and students. Meanwhile, I want to quickly tell you, dear reader, whether you are a student or not please tell any University of Ibadan student that calling for Congresses is never to be mistaken for calling for strike actions. It is just a misconception. I have received several complaints from different constituencies of our Union.

The different problems that I inherited in the office. Several of them that you can easily conclude that, truly, we are not in a sane society. Ordinary plastic ID, my University has not been able to give to students for the past 3 semesters. To register for courses, you have to pay. Porters in the halls of residence batch into your rooms even at night. Residents of Obafemi Awolowo Hall give a lot of complaints as regards the way their porters now harass them like never before. That’s the definition of the oppressed oppressing the oppressed. Some of them need to be cautioned.

We support their struggles each time they don’t pay their salaries. I personally attend their Congresses to show solidarity. I put pen to paper to put their plight before those judges in the court of public opinion. They might not be aware of all of these but sometimes maturity has to come before action. Generally, the welfare condition is poor. The lecture theatres are in bad condition. The halls of residence are terrible. Many rooms don’t have nets.

Students are suffering. 67.1 per cent of the population of the country live in poverty yet University authorities around the country can only leave that government while they attack the people. That is exactly what gives me a headache. To let Congress know what exactly the issue is with you in your faculty and halls of residence, you need to come to the congress.

THE UNION WILL RESPOND AS ONE.

The Congress agenda includes;

The use of Hot Plates

The issue of ID cards …

And other matters that are arising…

The time for the Congress is 8 pm

The venue is SUB Foyer.

Please be there.

Ojo Aderemi President,

University of Ibadan Students’ Union (2016/2017)