Association Of Campus Journalists Reacted To 1.8million Naira OAU Su BUDGET
A PRESS RELEASE BY ASSOCIATION OF CAMPUS
JOURNALISTS, OAU
OAU SU BUDGET: IN WHOSE INTEREST?
STUDENTS OR UNION LEADERS?
Quoting from the words of the former president Dr Good luck Ebele Jonathan: “Stealing is not corruption,” we are forced to ask the Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union leaders if their proposed budget that has generated several controversies is borne out of corrupt and selfish interest of the students’ union leaders or the collective interest of the entire populace of great Ife students.
Some weeks ago, the association of campus journalists made a press statement on the degenerating welfare situations of students on campus which in the actual sense is the most sensitive issue that concerns every individual on this campus.
Most of the dissatisfaction coming from the poor welfare conditions have been traced to the alleged insensitivity of the school management. If asked where the salvation of the ever dwindling state of welfare on campus lies, majority of Great Ife students would no doubt seek refuge in the students’ union leadership where overtime they have vested their trust so much in.
However, the supposed and highly placed trust in the present Students’ Union administration has begun to waiver following the recent unratified N26,090,469m budget on Union’s need for the remainder of the 2014/2015 session, which is roughly six months.
In the parliamentary sitting of Sunday 13th September, 2015, the budget presented by the students’ Union leaders could not
be passed due to the sole reason that the budget in itself was outrageous and had raised a lot of eyebrows from gallerians,
students and some parliamentarians. Though there are whole lots of other issues surrounding the so called outrageous budget ranging from the questionable attitude of the Budget and Finance Committee chairman of allegedly not carrying other members of the committee along, as well as the undeniable realities that the so called outrageous budget was not fictitious; the about N2M budget for phone call for the union’s leadership seemed to have generated dusts from all ends.
In all however, whether or not it is the case that the budget is yet to be passed before the House, what we suppose should bother the minds of students of Great Ife is whether the enterings of the Union’s proposed budget are hinged on the sole interests of generality of Great Ife students or on the selfish interests of the union leaders. If the figures and facts before ACJ are true and valid, then one may begin to question the sincerity of our student union leaders. Knowing fully well that the students union is expecting just N15m as subvention based on the union dues paid by students; realistically, if the union spends N1.8m on calls, N300,000 on bus maintenance,
and the union’s speaker is proposing to spend N1,250,000M, inter alia on long and short journeys and at the same time
proposing to spend N500,000 on accommodation for same journeys, not leaving out N114,000 meant for phone calls for
the budget and finance committee, one may begin to wonder how much would be left for capital projects.
The trust which OAU students have in the students’ union leadership may begin to dwindle and the essence of student unionism may be defeated if so much could have been budgeted for concurrent projects at the expense of capital projects. Questions should be asked on what the Union leaders are doing to ease the poor welfare burdens that the university management has let off on students on campus.
Questions not rhetorical, should be asked on what practical actions the students union is taking at ensuring that the poor
infrastructures, the insufficient hostels, shortage of water supply, lack of conducive lecture rooms and so on, are improved. As much as we are aware that the union cannot turn things around within the limited time possible, it is still reasonable that such a journey for a better students’ welfare should begin now, now with the union’s budget!
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Having said the above, the Association of Campus Journalists, being the conscience bar of all stakeholders of Obafemi Awolowo University wish to give the recommendations
hereunder:
1. That as it occurred that the proposed budget was not well documented and duly signed, we posit that a proper documentation, not handwritten, of the budget be submitted from the Budget and finance committee to the C.E.C and then to the House, for ratification and signatures well accounted for.
2. That a thorough overlook of the union’s budget be debated so that a cost effective and inexpensive administration be run.
3. That the interests of the generality of Great Ife students be chiefly infused into the budget.
4. That the budget should contain more of projects that will improve the living conditions and wellbeing of every student
on campus.
If there are any other comments as regards this issue, you can mail us through (acjoau2015@gmail.com). We have our twitter platforms @acjoau, for facebook, we have association of campus journalists page, ACJ watsapp group pages
inclusive of ACJ News Reel or you can forward a letter through the General Secretary of the association.
Signed:
ADEBAYO BENJAMIN O.
PRESIDENT
OLAOLUWA JOSEPH
General Secretary
OMOLE ISAAC
Public Relations Officer
JOURNALISTS, OAU
OAU SU BUDGET: IN WHOSE INTEREST?
STUDENTS OR UNION LEADERS?
Quoting from the words of the former president Dr Good luck Ebele Jonathan: “Stealing is not corruption,” we are forced to ask the Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union leaders if their proposed budget that has generated several controversies is borne out of corrupt and selfish interest of the students’ union leaders or the collective interest of the entire populace of great Ife students.
Some weeks ago, the association of campus journalists made a press statement on the degenerating welfare situations of students on campus which in the actual sense is the most sensitive issue that concerns every individual on this campus.
Most of the dissatisfaction coming from the poor welfare conditions have been traced to the alleged insensitivity of the school management. If asked where the salvation of the ever dwindling state of welfare on campus lies, majority of Great Ife students would no doubt seek refuge in the students’ union leadership where overtime they have vested their trust so much in.
However, the supposed and highly placed trust in the present Students’ Union administration has begun to waiver following the recent unratified N26,090,469m budget on Union’s need for the remainder of the 2014/2015 session, which is roughly six months.
In the parliamentary sitting of Sunday 13th September, 2015, the budget presented by the students’ Union leaders could not
be passed due to the sole reason that the budget in itself was outrageous and had raised a lot of eyebrows from gallerians,
students and some parliamentarians. Though there are whole lots of other issues surrounding the so called outrageous budget ranging from the questionable attitude of the Budget and Finance Committee chairman of allegedly not carrying other members of the committee along, as well as the undeniable realities that the so called outrageous budget was not fictitious; the about N2M budget for phone call for the union’s leadership seemed to have generated dusts from all ends.
In all however, whether or not it is the case that the budget is yet to be passed before the House, what we suppose should bother the minds of students of Great Ife is whether the enterings of the Union’s proposed budget are hinged on the sole interests of generality of Great Ife students or on the selfish interests of the union leaders. If the figures and facts before ACJ are true and valid, then one may begin to question the sincerity of our student union leaders. Knowing fully well that the students union is expecting just N15m as subvention based on the union dues paid by students; realistically, if the union spends N1.8m on calls, N300,000 on bus maintenance,
and the union’s speaker is proposing to spend N1,250,000M, inter alia on long and short journeys and at the same time
proposing to spend N500,000 on accommodation for same journeys, not leaving out N114,000 meant for phone calls for
the budget and finance committee, one may begin to wonder how much would be left for capital projects.
The trust which OAU students have in the students’ union leadership may begin to dwindle and the essence of student unionism may be defeated if so much could have been budgeted for concurrent projects at the expense of capital projects. Questions should be asked on what the Union leaders are doing to ease the poor welfare burdens that the university management has let off on students on campus.
Questions not rhetorical, should be asked on what practical actions the students union is taking at ensuring that the poor
infrastructures, the insufficient hostels, shortage of water supply, lack of conducive lecture rooms and so on, are improved. As much as we are aware that the union cannot turn things around within the limited time possible, it is still reasonable that such a journey for a better students’ welfare should begin now, now with the union’s budget!
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Having said the above, the Association of Campus Journalists, being the conscience bar of all stakeholders of Obafemi Awolowo University wish to give the recommendations
hereunder:
1. That as it occurred that the proposed budget was not well documented and duly signed, we posit that a proper documentation, not handwritten, of the budget be submitted from the Budget and finance committee to the C.E.C and then to the House, for ratification and signatures well accounted for.
2. That a thorough overlook of the union’s budget be debated so that a cost effective and inexpensive administration be run.
3. That the interests of the generality of Great Ife students be chiefly infused into the budget.
4. That the budget should contain more of projects that will improve the living conditions and wellbeing of every student
on campus.
If there are any other comments as regards this issue, you can mail us through (acjoau2015@gmail.com). We have our twitter platforms @acjoau, for facebook, we have association of campus journalists page, ACJ watsapp group pages
inclusive of ACJ News Reel or you can forward a letter through the General Secretary of the association.
Signed:
ADEBAYO BENJAMIN O.
PRESIDENT
OLAOLUWA JOSEPH
General Secretary
OMOLE ISAAC
Public Relations Officer
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