By: Sonaike Peter
On the 30th of November, 2024, around 8:30 PM, the Students’ Union House Secretary, Elemide Daniel had what could be described as a cordial dispute with some residents of the Great Independence Hall.
The mild disagreement occurred during a visit to the hall after the House Secretary had dropped off the Treasurer of the Union, who resides in the hall.
The difference of opinion resulted from a decision to enforce the Union’s resolution on unified price regulation.
Recall that the Union convened a meeting where the issue of unregulated prices on campus was raised and discussed with way-forward charted out.
Elemide Daniel, the House Secretary, had approached a vendor in Indy Hall to buy a commodity, which according to him was put at a hefty sum.
According to the Students’ Union House Secretary, he asked for Berry Blast, a commodity which was priced at #1500.
Later, Elemide said he visited another shop where he was charged for the same product at the lower rate of #1400.
The House Secretary, Elemide thereafter returned to the initial vendor, Mrs. Odunnayo Abiodun, giving her an ultimatum to close down her kiosk for overcharging. This directive was however met with criticism by Indy hall residents who stopped him from shutting the kiosk.
The students, as observed by IndyPress correspondent at the scene, claimed Elemide’s approach to implementing the policy on price regulation was uncalled for, while explaining that he should have gone through a process which would carry the hall leadership along.
The students also stated that they were not aware of the resolution on the price policy as no memo was circulated to get them informed about the development.
Speaking with IndyPress, the Students’ Union House Secretary, Elemide Daniel, said “the man wanted to sell Berry blast to me for #1500 and I left to buy it in another shop close by for 1400.”
“It is very hard for me to try to come here and do my work. Students are the ones that are stopping me from doing my work because they don’t know what is going on,” Elemide lamented.
Mrs. Odunnayo Abiodun, the vendor who was asked to close her shop stated that the issue had been resolved. “It is a little misunderstanding and we have settled it. There is no problem”, she said.
Interacting with IndyPress, the Hall’s House Secretary, Ejere Emmanuel told IndyPress that the Students’ Union House Secretary, Elemide Daniel was challenged and stopped from closing down the shop as result of not following the official procedure such as writing a letter to the hall or carrying the Administrator General along to implement the decision.
“I wasn’t there when it happened. I heard noises from this side. I was in A block, coming to C Block to eat and the rest. So, when I saw the Union van parked there with crowd of people. I came, like this is Indy Hall now, I can’t just be looking”.
“I came close and asked what was the issue. The Elemide guy was angry, storming off and the rest. So, certain guys were trying to cool him down and hear what he had to say.”
“I don’t feel he has that capacity to just come to the hall and lock down the shop based on what he feels. I believe that if he wants to lock the shop he should reach out to the AG or any of the executive available”, Indy Hall’s House Secretary said.
Ejere Emmanuel however noted that the issue, according to Elemide, was that the vendor in question paced its prices of goods “on the high side.”
Speaking to IndyPress, the Indy Hall’s Social and Buttery Commissioner, Adedeji Peculiar Gbolahan, who according to section 2(4) of the hall constitution is saddled with the responsibility of “seeing to the Hall Buttery and Kiosk” attributed the commotion to the failure of the Student’ Union House, Elemide Daniel to carry out his duty with a ‘tag’.
Peculiar also stated that the Students’ Union should have created awareness about the resolution before carrying out its duties
“I was not at the scene”, he said, “but what I heard from kantangites was that he disrespected the woman.”
“Ok, he came here to do is duty which we all know is our welfare. But you coming alone without identification; these people do not know you. They don’t even know who you are, and you were like they disrespected you; then you must lock their shop. I don’t even know what to say about it. But the thing is that there is the need to regulate prices on campus. The country is hard enough and these people should not add to the hardship.”
“I understand that the Students’ Union is trying to watch out for us. They (the residents) are not sure he was coming officially. He came alone and not with any tag. The transport committee always wears tag. The security committee always wears tag. If he is in that kind of uniform, people will know he is here on our behalf”.
“People think he wanted to buy something but can’t afford and that was why he reacted that way. And also, katangites reacted because there is no official memo yet or resolution backing his action. All those things should be the back up for his action,” he said.
The Social and Buttery Commissioners also told IndyPress that the hall is waiting for the memo which will back the action of enforcing the price regulatory policy, while assuring that the hall executive will see to the compliance to it.
“We are waiting for the memo. If there is a regulated price, these people will be aware of the regulated prices that we’re complying to. And the Hall Executives, Social and Buttery committee, the Health Committee and Defense Committee combined will see to its implementation. Out of concern, we have done our best. We’re waiting for the Students’ Union to give us a uniform price list” Peculiar concluded.
