UCJ Editorial: Parable Of The Engine Boys

Once upon a time, in the land of a certain university known as Unilorin, a conflict ensued between a Student Union President (Eminent) and the Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Ajiboye. It was said that during this conflict, the Sub Dean allegedly gave Eminent a presidential slap which would later be widely known as the Presidential Slap Saga (PSS). 

The scandal went viral on social media with angry voices within and without demanding that the Sub Dean be brought to book. Contrary to their expectations, the Sub Dean denied the allegation and went further to give a different account of how the incidence occurred. 

Eminent, in a bid to substantiate his claim, disclosed that a popular engineering student (MYT) witnessed the alleged assault on him. MYT in return, acknowledged that a conflict did occur but was not sure if the Sub Dean actually slapped Eminent.  This response was condemned by some as hypocritical, while others, particularly from the faculty of engineering believed it.

Shortly after this, the entire students of the faculty of engineering, through their leadership, threw their weight behind their Sub Dean. In fact, they went further to issue a memo publicly declaring their support for Dr. Ajiboye, and also denied his culpability in the allegation.

This move was widely perceived as an act of betrayal on the part of the 'engine boys.' The general feeling then was that, rather than showing solidarity for the SU President, a fellow student, engine ring students chose their Sub Dean, a lecturer. Some Public affairs analysts were of the view that the engineering students settled for such position out of fear of victimisation by the faculty management. Others held that they acted most reasonably in the circumstance.

A truce was eventually reached at the behest of the SU President in the interest of peace. He would then proceed to be awarded by the Kwara State Government as a Peace Ambassador for his exemplary and peace-oriented leadership. The rest is history.

While this excitement continued, those who felt betrayed by the engineering students were however not pleased with the turn out of event. They eventually resolved to work against the interest of the engineering students at the Student Union general elections. In a sudden twist of events, the candidate (MYT) against whom the plot was specifically targeted at, won the election as the SU PRO-elect. 

As if the shock was not enough, the engineering students went ahead to produce the President-elect (Reedof), the Assistant General Secretary (AMAT), and the Sports Secretary (Bash). In fact, engineering students clinched four (4) seats out of twelve (12) in the SU Central Executive Council. Indeed, the table was turned around in favour of the 'engine boys.'

It's time for question and answer session: who is the new SU President and 001? An engine boy. What about the image maker? An engine boy. The Assistant General Secretary? An engine girl. The Sports Secretary? An engine boy. Wait a minute, what about the new Unilorin Vice Chancellor? An engine professor. Wow! This is indeed an era of the engine boys. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 'engine revolution.' End of story.

As expected, chauvinistic views have invaded social media, and it is still the talking point at the moment. Some of these comments, though understandable, are totally uncalled for and are headed towards a disturbing direction. For example, one of such comments reads thus: "Engineering student (sic) should be respected now. And our queue at the park should be different." Others include include: "Engine boys are born to rule," "Engine boys lead, others follow," etc. 

It is important to note that praise-singing is at best appreciated not before or during the task, but after its successful completion. It is there and then the athlete can be congratulated to have won the race. Therefore, it is instructive for Reedof to remain focused on the task that lies ahead of his "Together-We-Can" administration. 

Going by the mantra adopted by his administration, it is hoped that the President-elect will adopt a policy that is holistic in the name of the Union, not in favour of a select few. His (Reedof) comments, actions and interventions must be all-encompassing in order to be seen as a president for all, not an engine president. It's a different ball game now. NUESA (Engineering) President is meant to serve the interest of engineering students. Reedof, on the other hand, belongs to the entirety of Unilorin students. The difference is clear.

On that note, we wish to congratulate the student populace in general, and the engineering students in particular, on the emergence of Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem as the 10th Vice Chancellor of the Better by Far University. The new VC is indeed an 'engine' professor of no mean feat. Congratulations!

This is an editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ilorin Chapter, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.