By Abdulrasheed Olokoto
Olaniyan Abdulsamad, popularly known as Capacity, a 200 level Electrical Engineering student vying for the position of University of Ibadan Students’ Union Assistant General Secretary, has made no specific commitment to addressing NANS-related concerns in his manifesto, despite the constitutional responsibility of the office to coordinate such activities.
The agenda outlined in his manifesto include Freshers’ Welcome and Integration; Freshers’ Help Desk and Complaint Desk; Freshers’ Academic Team; Youth Skills Acquisition Programme; and the continuation of existing Union initiatives, including the Free GES Bus Scheme, Council of AGSS and Board of 100 Level Course Representatives.
However, according to Article V, section 4 of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union Constitution, the Assistant General Secretary is responsible for coordinating all NANS-related activities on campus in consultation with the President.
In his five-point agenda, Olaniyan makes no specific commitment to improving the coordination and dissemination of information concerning the Association’s activities or addressing existing concerns surrounding the Union’s engagement with NANS.
Among these concerns are NANS’ current policy direction; its promotion of student loans over the traditional demand for adequate funding of public education, as enshrined in the NANS Charter; and the partisan character of the association, including its overt and covert alliances with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the unilateral endorsement of Alao John who contested for the position of NANS Financial secretary unilaterally endorsed by the union president, Adeboye Temidayo as well as concerns on continued victimization of students.
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