UNILORIN SUPC: The Good, Bad, And the Ugly

UCJ Editorial

10/11/17

By:

Princely X

The third edition of the Students’ Union Press Conference, University of Ilorin witnessed an incredible level of attendance from stakeholders at the University of Ilorin Auditorium on Wednesday November 8, 2017. It is said that, a successful person without a successful successor is only a failure wrapped in transient success.

One must give Kudos to the Idris Alao – Observation led administration for introducing the platform, and as well regard the Eminent led administration for raising the bar. A bar which the Reedof administration sustained on Wednesday.

To begin with, it is pertinent to mention what a Press Conference is, and the purpose it stands to serve. A Press conference as observed globally (in a domestic reference, as organised by the last two administrations), it's a question and answer session with members of broadcast, print and other media.

In the Student Union UNILORIN scenario, press conferences in the past, have also allowed for the inclusion of a question-and-answer segment from students and concerned persons in the UNILORIN community.

A purpose which has been notched higher by the inclusion of members of the Students Union Central executive council presenting their agenda for the session, allowing for a quick perusal of these programs, and assessing their feasibility.

In high spirits of the success recorded by the previous two SUPC, and as a result of a well publicized third (Press Conference), the Auditorium was almost filled to its capacity before 9:00am, by expectant students. As is customary with some, few students arrived much later so that they may meet the event while it is arriving at its peak.

But it seemed the peak of the program was achieved only during its publicity, as the event didn’t make an attempt to even begin, until about two hours past the scheduled time.

However, one must praise the Reedof led administration for bringing important members of the University’s various administrative units to the media talk. Having the DVC, Dean & Sub Dean Students Affairs, Director of Unilorin health services, Chief Security Officer, UNILORIN, among others at the event was a brilliant initiative. Another thing worthy of mention is, how protocols were properly coordinated and respected; it had volumes to speak about the Union’s form and how organized they are.

However, it became difficult to ascertain if the conference was about the University’s administrative units, or if it was truly a Students Union Press Conference. Subsequently, one was forced to wonder if one had attended a comedy cum talent showcase program or a press conference.

The event which wasn’t properly structured, with an absent pre-planned program of events, was conducted in no order, and this made the first session last until few minutes past 2:00pm, when the Press Conference was supposed to be drifting towards a positive end.

After the University administrative units’ heads – and representatives – had had their fill of the event, they left it to the Students to ‘do their thing’. This was when the ‘Together, we can’ administration – executive and legislative – were ushered in for the conference, after a great fraction of students had left, dissatisfied.

The compère, who was either following orders, or the absence of any, was quick to throw the microphone around, shortly after the President had given a report filled with ‘visitations and salutations’.

The pressmen present when the ideal ‘Press Conference’ started – those who hadn’t left disappointingly – were jettisoned and evaded from the questioning for an extended period of time. The President, Reedof, answered a great fraction of the questions asked by students, forcing a pressman to enquire why the President seems to be the only person in the know of things, an enquiry which was jettisoned too.

The conference, which some students have tagged a ‘meeting’ was soon brought to an end, with many unanswered questions, and many disgruntled students.

However, one must commend the effort of the President for tackling well, some of the questions he attempted. At the end of the event, students were starting to wonder if the administration is truly one of togetherness, or the ‘Together we can’ nomenclature is merely a façade to draw the attention of students from a possible discordantly aligned union.

Many students still wonder why the President was omniscient in Union activities, an attitude which caused him to truncate a mild presentation by the Sports Director. We cannot for certain, draw a conclusive line at the moment as the administration is barely just kicking off. Perhaps the events of Wednesday were mere misconceptions by students, or perhaps other members of the administration have refused to carry themselves along with Union activities. One cannot ascertain for now.

But if we were to use the performance of the previous administration as a yardstick, one would note that, the previous administration had a high flying start to their programs, and the President evidently carried members of his administration along with fellow Union members – the students. If the ‘Together, we can’ administration is to beat the feat of the past administration, now is the time to start working, in order to avoid the perceived low-class ‘Town Hall’ meeting held on Wednesday.

We at the level of the Union of Campus Journalists, UNILORIN, wish the new administration, a great administrative session ahead. And we pray that the spirit of togetherness which it preaches is practiced. 

Princely X is a severally published author of fiction and non-fiction on many fronts. He studies law at the University of Ilorin, and is in his penultimate year. He is a vibrant member of UCJ UNILORIN, and the Regional Secretary, North Central Zone, National UCJ.

UCJ, UNILORIN.