Following series of allegations and counter allegations that have characterised the Senate council of the University of Ilorin for some weeks now. The UCJ Unilorin has spoken with all the players involved to hear their own side of the story, and in this exclusive report evaluates the genesis of the matter, the nitty-gritty of it, what some concerned Senators have to say on it, and the defence by the Senate President. Enjoy!

The Genesis of the Matter:

On 20th May 2016, a former senator representing the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ilorin wrote to the Unilorin Independent Students Anti-Corrupt Practices Commission (UISAPC) alleging that the Senate President, Senator Abdul salaam Mashood Orire (Malawi) misappropriated some funds specifically as regards his sitting allowances. Though this allegation has been heard by the commission, and in its report on 27th May 2016, cleared the Senate President of any financial misappropriations in that regard.

The Issue lingers: Another phase of financial misappropriations:

While the UISAPC cleared the senate president of this allegation raised by the former senator. More allegations emerged that the Senate President has failed to remit remnants of the sitting allowances of senators who failed to attend sittings to the Students’ Union account. This issue was raised on Saturday, 28th May 2016 during the sitting of the Senate Council, when the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union, Com. Estimate affirmed that while his office credits the sitting allowances of senators to the Senate President, he failed to remit remnants to the Students’ Union account. After a heated debate on the floor of the house that day, the matter was adjourned to the next sitting of the Senate Council.

The Emergency Sitting and the Matters Arising:

On Saturday, 18th June 2016, the Senate Council held an emergency sitting upon the request of the senators. Though, this sitting was not open to members of the public, as it could best be described as an “In-house sitting”. It was hoped that the issue of financial misappropriations will be treated by the Senate President, this hope was dashed into thin air, as the matter was unattended to, due to the absence of the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union. Though, shortly before the close of proceedings on the floor of the house on that day, the financial secretary emerged, and even despite that, the senate president called for an adjournment. This act, angered many senators who felt the Senate President doesn’t want to attend to the issue in a bid to evade justice.

Concerned Senators Demand Clarification from the Senate President:

In a bid to save the image of the Senate Council of the University. Some concerned senators have spoken exclusively with UCJ Unilorin correspondent (Osuji Chima) on the issue.
Senator Ademola Adekunbi (Representing the faculty of law) while speaking on the issue stated that, the conduct of the Senate President belies his oral protestations of innocence. Narrating what transpired at the Senate Council’s emergency sitting last Saturday, he stated: “His position at the beginning of the sitting was that he was present with all the documents he needed to clear the allegations against him, however when the Financial Secretary arrived, he brought the sitting to an abrupt end”. He therefore called on the Senate President to give an explanation to the house he is leading as well as the students he is representing. “We are only fighting so that the Senate Council will not acquire a reputation similar to that of the Senate at the federal level”. He concluded.

Senator Richard on the other hand corroborated what his colleague said, by requesting that the Senate President clears the air on the allegations levelled against him. In his words: “We request that Senator Malawi comes to clear the allegations levelled against him in front of the mace.”

Senator George (Representing Life Sciences) maintained that the Senate President is a man whom he respects so much, and still do. He therefore called on the Senate President to come on the floor of the house to clear the air on the issue, so as to remove any form of suspicion from fellow students and distinguished senators.

Senator ASM (Representing Communications and Information Sciences) in his own narration, revealed that the crux of the matter was the inability of the Senate President to remit the sitting allowances of members absent from sittings to them nor to the Union’s account. He noted that the Senate President earns N140, 000 (Basic salary and sitting allowance) annually, which makes him the highest paid officer in the Union. In his words: “We are simply demanding that the Senate President should respond to the allegation levelled against him in order to save the image of the Senate Council…”

I don’t have any skeleton in my cupboard; Malawi replies critics

The Senate President has so far replied to critics who have alleged that he has misappropriated the Senate Council funds, and also manoeuvred the last sitting of the Senate Council. In an interview with the UCJ duo of (Ishola Muhammad Basheer and Osuji Chima), the senate president explained that, in a bid to clarify the allegations raised against him, he ensured that the emergency sitting held, despite not meeting the constitutional requirement of 19 senators (As just 14 senators signed the call for an emergency meeting).

Furthermore, he stated that he’s always ready to make clarifications. Though, he noted that the senators only want him to make the clarifications on the floor of the house, but advised that anyone who has anything against him with facts could go to the Students’ Union court or the UISAPC. And if that is not enough, they could proceed to the University management. In his words: “Since May 28th, if this case has been taken to the Students’ Union court, judgement would have been delivered ever since”

While noting that the senate council is a political home, he emphasised that he never manoeuvred the last senate sitting. Explaining that he couldn’t have said anything in the absence of the financial secretary who arrived late for the sitting. In his words: “The financial secretary arrived late, and sat where he could not be easily noticed, and to be frank I’ve already observed the motion for adjournment before sighting him, and there’s nothing I could have done about that ”

Uncertainties in the air

As at the time of filing this report, there are uncertainties as to what would be the next line of action of the aggrieved senators, or when the senate president would publicly address his fellow colleagues/students on the issue. Though, UCJ Unilorin can confirm that senators are making a move to convoke an emergency sitting by invoking Article 14(c) 2 of the standing order of the Students’ Union constitution, a move which the Senate president has denied any knowledge of as at Tuesday (yesterday).

While the senators are eager to hear from the number one legislator, Unilorites on the other hand are also anticipating to hear from him. The Senate president has also promised to clear the air on the issue soon. While these uncertainties linger on, only time can justify the outcome.

AbdulGaniy Shehu (Credit to Osuji Chima and Ishola Muhammad Basheer for the interviews)
Reporting for:
UCJ Unilorin

Students were gathered at the Students' Union Building (SUB) for the manifestos program organized by the Independent Student Electoral Commission (ISEC) from 3:10pm. The programme which held on Monday, 13th June 2016 attracted quite a large number of students.

At about 3:30pm, prior to the commencement of the  manifesto, supporters of various candidates took to ranting campaign songs, parading the audience with campaign posters while the Disk Jockey (DJ) continued playing songs.
It was all through a cacophony as the mantra continued.

Some students who were neither interested in the songs nor the campaign kept agitating as to when the manifesto would commence largely due to the fact that it was still a sunny evening.
At 4:02pm, the MC welcomed everyone present; and afterwards he gave rules and regulations to guide the success of the program.

He followed a certain sequence in calling the aspirants i.e from the Sport Secretaries to Presidents.
Each candidate were given three to five minutes for their manifestos except those of vice-presidents and presidents who were give seven and ten minutes respectively. Twenty-eight candidates spoke to the crowd all-together. General questions were asked and the questioners selected were strictly those on tag, and are of faculties outside the faculties of contesting candidates.

Some candidates were able to prove their worth and won the heart of some other students while some ended up disappointing their supporters; some other supporters' campaign actions even boomerang their aspirants as they rendered them inaudible.

During the process, one of the representatives of the ISEC stood to address the students on the modalities of the voting process. He made it clear that the voting process shall be no different from the manner with which we pay our school fees; that is without a  One Time Password (OTP) you cannot vote for your candidate. That’s to those whose portal phone numbers are non functional  should write to the Registrar through the student affairs unit via their respective Deans of faculty.

From the actions and reactions the students, it was gathered that some student are not pleased with the worrisome process of reactivating a functional number thereby preferring not to vote at all.

CANDIDATES MANIFESTOS

SPORT SECRETARIES:

Before the first person Harun Abdul-razaq was called, students remained as noisy as ever until the MC threatened the stance of their respective candidates if the noise persist. Still to no avail.

ZINO: who said he's a student of Human Kinetics Education, and on that ground, he's best to fit in the position of the sport secretary.

*iZUBAIR’smanifesto could not be heard clearly as his supporters overshadowed his speech. After their speeches, they were asked how they would ensure equal representation from each faculties and departments. They all gave answers to that regard.

WELFARE SECRETARIES:

They all defined what they understood to be WELFARISM and why they think they're fit for the position.
Satellite proposed a five-point agenda. Which are: Transportation by privatizing the sector; Price regulation by calling general meeting and giving appropriate orientation; Optional payment of services.
He could not make known his other agenda before he went out of time.

HALOGEN and ADMEEN spoke in rapid-fire. They both appeared inaudible also as their supporters could not let them be heard.
They were asked: _"how would you ensure we stop queuing for transportation

STALITE in his words said "When I was in 100level I queued!, 200level I queued!, 300 I queued!, 400 level I queued!, 500level I promise we shall never queue again"

The audience were pleased with his reply and applauded him. Other aspirants gave their replies as well.

PUBLIC RELATION OFFICERS:

All the candidates defined their stance  for PRO as  "to disseminate information"

Some of them spent their time on advert rather that the manifestos before they were cut off their speech. Nonetheless, Advocate was able to enthrall the audience.
They were asked: "Are you really coming to disseminate information or to embezzle money" which they all claimed they’re  come for nothing but service.

Abdulwahab Abdulkarim (Karimous)
Reporting:
For UCJ Unilorin

Ahead of the 2016 Students' Union elections, it has been revealed that 34 persons are jostling for various positions at the Students’ Union central executive council, Union of Campus Journalists Unilorin can report today.

This was made known by the ISEC chairman, Mr. Atanda Abdul Qadir while speaking with a correspondent of the UCJ Unilorin.

According to him, there are thirty-four aspirants for the Central Executive Offices in totality. “There are Five presidential aspirants; Two Vice presidential candidates for the Permanent Site (P.S) and from the College of Health (COS); Four aspirants for the office of the General Secretary; Two candidates for the Assistant General Secretary (AGS); Two aspirants for the Financial Secretary; Four aspirants for the Social Secretary; Six candidates for the Public Relations Office; Four for the Sports Secretary; and Five candidates for the Welfare Secretary, Four from the Permanent Secretary (P.S) and One from the College of Health”, he analysed.

Furthermore, he stated that the presentation of manifestoes by the aspirants will come up on Monday, 13th June, 2016.

“Screening of aspirants came up yesterday, Saturday June 11, 2016, by 7am. Manifestoes for all Central Executive office aspirants will follow on Monday, June 13, 2016 at the Students’ Union Building, Permanent Site, starting from 3pm”, he said.

Abimbola Ridwaanullah
Reporting:
For UCJ Unilorin

The Independent Students Electoral Committee chairman for the 2016/2017 Students’ Union Elections, Mr. Atanda Abdul-Qadir, has declared that the elections for this session will come up on the 21st June, 2016.

Speaking with a UCJ Correspondent, the Chairman disclosed that “the election will come up on Tuesday, 21st June 2016, all things being equal”.

The election, according to him, is going to be an Online Voting process. “Elections are going to start at 5am, after which voting will continue for 10 hours before the curtain will be drawn on the voting process”, he said. 

The chairman, also expressed his profound gratitude to the people for the trust reposed in him to carry out this great assignment, noting that such an opportunity is not owed to his being the best.

Assuring the university community of a free and fair election, Atanda said, “We are trying our best and we are assuring the students that we shall continue to put in our very best because our target is to have a free and election and with God on our side, we believe we shall hit the target”.

He, however, urged the students to vote as early as possible within the voting time-frame in order to exercise their franchise dutifully and vote in the candidate of their choice.

Abimbola Ridwaanullah

Reporting:

For UCJ Unilorin