By: IndyPress News Desk
The 11th Assembly held its fifth ordinary sitting on Saturday, January 11, 2025.
The Council debated the partly heeded sanctions levied on three defaulters; the President, General Secretary and the Rt. Honorable Speaker.
Recall that a petition in August 2024 alleged that the leadership of the Union falsified Congress resolutions.
The petitioners had argued that the published resolutions by the Union was a contrast to all that students agreed upon at the held Congress.
The Disciplinary Committee in its report to the House had recommended apology letters, which should be addressed to the student populace and the Legislative Council, as punitive measures.
The Disciplinary Committee recommended the payment of #5000 fine and community service at the Jaja Health Centre, as other punitive measures, which were to be effected under 48 hours.
The Right Honorable Speaker was also found guilty, as stated in the Disciplinary report, for ‘disregarding and disrespecting the Congress’.
In lieu, the Disciplinary Committee recommended than an apology letter be addressed to both the student community and the Legislative Council, by the Speaker, Rt. Opegbemi Matthias.
The entire recommendations, as stated in the Disciplinary Committee report, were approved by the Legislative Council at the fourth ordinary sitting held on 16th November 2024.
The President, Aweda Bolaji and the General Secretary, Ogundejo Japheth however turned in the sanctioned apology letter addressed to the council, IndyPress confirmed.
“Honourable Taoheed Aderinto from the Great Independence Hall of Residence moved a procedural motion for the adoption of the resolution of the fourth ordinary sitting where the Speaker, the President, and the General Secretary of the Union were asked to apologize to the House for disregarding the Congress,” reads a tweet on X, UI’SRC official handle.
“The President and General Secretary have apologized, however, they pleaded leniency as regards the payment of fine due to the state of the economy,” a tweet from the UI’SRC official handle reads.
“The General Secretary and President however pleaded for an extension for Community Service deadline also”, another tweet reads.
“Honourable Peace from Bello Hall is enraged, maintaining that the President and General Secretary saying they cannot pay #5 thousand naira and perform community service is clownery and mockery of the House. This is particularly because of the grievous state of their offence,” another tweet on the UI’SRC handle reads.
“Honourable Mishi from Awo Hall shares this line of thought, stating that the President and The General Secretary have no respect for the House. She proposes an increment in their fine to #10,000naira and an extension of community service from one week to one month.”
In another tweet highlight, Honourable Nnamdi from the Lord Tedder Hall raised a point of information, correcting Honourable Peace. He stated that what the President, General Secretary and Speaker were asked to apologize for “was an omission, not an offence,” the tweet on X reads.
In its resolve, the Council noted that its previous resolutions of the fourth ordinary sitting still stands. And, that defaulters were to effect the unimplemented sanctions within a week.
