By Abdulrasheed Olokoto

The Chairman of Kenneth Mellanby Hall, Unah Simon John, has debunked allegations of irresponsibility levelled against him by the University of Ibadan Students’ Union, President Adeboye Temidayo Sewanu, during the Students’ Representative Council’s first ordinary sitting held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the SRC Chamber.

The controversy began when Hon. Oduola Peter, a representative of Kenneth Mellanby Hall, challenged the Union for failing to assist Mellanby and Lord Tedder Halls during their prolonged power outage, despite taking credit for interventions in its State of the Union report.

Responding, Deboye alleged that the Mellanby Hall Chairman had been irresponsible and failed to communicate with the Hall Warden.

“It is the Hall Chairperson of Mellanby Hall that has not been responsible to the students. He did not take responsibility or communicate with the Hall Warden,” Deboye claimed.

His remarks drew criticism from the Speaker and other members of the House, who questioned his tone and response.

In a statement released on the same day, the Mellanby Hall Chairperson, Unah Simon John, popularly known as D-Charming, described the President’s claims as “both misleading and unfair.”

“In light of the recent statements released by the Students’ Union President regarding the prolonged power outage in Kenneth Mellanby Hall, I find it necessary to set the record straight and present the true position of events,” he wrote.

“The claim suggesting that I, as the Hall Chairperson, ‘has not been responsible to the students’ or failed in my responsibilities is both misleading and unfair. Such assertions do not reflect the reality of what transpired during this crisis,” 

He explained that for over three weeks, residents of Mellanby and Tedder Halls endured severe electricity and water shortages following the breakdown of the transformer serving both halls. This left students struggling with access to water and charging points.

Read also: Left in Dark: Erratic Electricity and Its Impact on UI Students 

Simon John further accused the Students’ Union President of negligence during the period.

“At no point did he demonstrate the urgency expected of his office. He did not visit the affected halls to personally assess the situation, nor did he make any meaningful welfare visits to Kenneth Mellanby Hall. There was no practical leadership and no presence where it mattered most.” 

“Instead, while students faced extreme frustration, the Union President was comfortably in his office recording dance videos for TikTok. At a time that demanded sacrifice, he appeared more concerned with content creation than crisis management,” he said.

He added that the Union President only visited the damaged transformer site after being confronted in his office.

“During my engagements with the Director of Maintenance and other university authorities, it became evident that the Students’ Union had made no meaningful intervention or consistent follow-up to facilitate a solution,” John stated.

Contrasting the Union’s response, John maintained that the Mellanby Hall Executive Council and stakeholders were actively working to provide relief.

“We were neither silent nor absent. We remained engaged with relevant stakeholders, including the maintenance unit and TIFASE, and the Students’ Union House Secretary, making repeated visits to ensure the issue received attention. These were practical interventions, not mere public statements,” he added.

Read Also: A Judgment Cannot Be Passed If the Other Party Is Absent’— UI SU President

He urged the Union President to accept responsibility rather than shift blame.

“It is, therefore, both dishonest and unacceptable for someone who showed such reluctance in addressing the situation to now turn around and point fingers at me. Rather than shifting blame, he should accept his own leadership failures.”

“Public accountability must be built on truth, not convenient narratives. I have stood firmly with the students throughout this crisis and took responsibility where it mattered most. The welfare of students must be protected through visible action and responsible leadership, not empty assumptions,” he added.