UNILORIN ILUMSA Emergency Sitting: A Win-Win Outcome

The UNILORIN ILUMSA on Thursday 22nd June, convoked an emergency sitting with the sole aim of adopting the 2017 Amended Constitution of the association.

The event was held at LR 4 at the College of Health Sciences (COHS), University of Ilorin. At exactly 5:05pm, the sitting commenced with the recitation of the second stanza of the national anthem.

A total of seventeen senators, including principal members of the ILUMSA Senate Council, were present during the roll call. Members of congress were also in attendance.

In his opening remark, the Senate President, Sen. Murtala Moshood, welcomed his colleagues to the sitting. He cited Article XXI, B(a) of the ILUMSA Constitution which prescribes the procedure for amending the association's constitution.

According to Sen. Moshood, deliberations had been held extensively in previous sittings on the relevant clauses in the amended constitution, and that same was sent to constituencies for their input.

Therefore, the emergency sitting of Thursday 22nd was called mainly for the purpose of adopting the amended ILUMSA constitution. Sen. Moshood stated that the required two-third majority of the House must be met, and subsequent referendum by Congress in order to give validity to the amended constitution

On this note, Sen. Moshood admonished his colleagues to vote according to their conscience and sued for thoroughness in the voting process.

As a result, a senator from the 600 level constituency moved for the adoption of the amended constitution but a point of order was raised by Congressman Animashaun Oluseyi a.k.a Hesjay, to the effect that deliberations ought to be held before moving to adopt same. He placed reliance on Article XV, D(1) which provides that the Senate shall discuss first, all matters on the agenda for a particular meeting among others.

The Senate President held to the contrary that deliberations had been held in previous sittings, and that so much effort had been made in the amendment process.

Not convinced by the Senate President's position, congressmen insisted on a debate before moving to adopt the amended constitution. They did so, by invoking a series of points of order.

In his effort to engender due process, the ILUMSA President, Comr. Salifu Wesley, cited several provisions of the ILUMSA Constitution as to the proper use of a point of order, and the discretionary power of the Senate President to determine its fate. His effort however, did not go unchallenged by congressmen.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Tola Ipinmisho advised congressmen to remain civil with their agitations, and that there was "no need to go crazy about things" in that no one was there to do battle. His comment heated up the polity to such alarming heights.

It received intense condemnation by Congressmen. In his opinion, Comr. Hesjay maintained that Sen. Tola had attacked his personality and demanded for an apology. The Senate President rose to the occasion, and as such, Sen. Tola clarified his comment but apologised in the end.

Notwithstanding the resolution of the issue between Sen. Tola and Comr. Hesjay, the later part of the sitting was Topsy-Turvy with the pendulum shifting between the position of the Senate President, and that of Congressman Hesjay.

There was a headway in the end, and the House moved for the adoption of the amended constitution.

As at voting time, only fourteen senators participated in the voting process to the exclusion of the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, who had already left the sitting on permission.

Nine senators voted in favour of adopting the amended constitution while five senators voted against it. This amounted to a percentage of 9.3 which paved the way for another bedlam as to whether it constituted a two-third majority of fourteen senators.

The Senate President held that 9.3 percent represented a two-third majority if approximated to 10 while others, especially congressmen vehemently kicked against it.

At this juncture, the atmosphere was tense such that the Senate President called for a brief recess.

Upon resumption, the Senate President announced that after due consultation, 9.3 out of 14 did not represent two-third majority, and therefore, the adoption of the amended constitution could not stand. His pronouncement brought back decorum in the House.

Consequently, the House moved that the amended constitution be routed back to the Constitution Review Committee for a fresh start in the deliberation process.

A Roll call was taken of senators present, and the House moved for adjournment.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.