Atanda Ayobami.

The National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS) has set up a nine-person committee to draft a new constitution.

The announcement of the members of the committee was made known through a broadcast message sent by the association president, Akomolafe Sinmiloluwa, to the NASELS Family Page on WhatsApp. Sinmiloluwa, in the message, expressed the necessity to have a new constitution as she declared the present constitution ‘obsolete’, which didn’t cater for most happenings in the department.

As announced by the NASELS President after the deliberation and resort of the executives codenamed Team Rejuvenation, the committee would be headed by the 400-level stalwart, Ibrahim Otegbade, who has served immensely in the department as a member of the NASELS Electoral Commission in a good number of times. Igbebi Gloria Love and Ahanonu Chimeziem Obumneme will represent the 400-level students, and Gloria Love will serve as the secretary for the committee. Praise David Olorunfemi will represent the 300-level students, Lawal Abdul-Quyum and Solademi Joel Oludamilola are the representatives of the 200-level students, while Oyewole Sodiq Ademola and Emmanuel Blessings Oluwalaanumi are the representatives of 100-level students. Olumurewa Damilola will, nonetheless, represent the interest of the NASELS Press in the constitutional drafting committee.

While stating the need for the drafting of the new constitution, Sinmiloluwa emphatically spelled out the responsibility expected from the committee and the criteria for the reason they were selected, “This committee will be responsible for making amendments and introducing new and necessary ideas into the constitution. These individuals have been carefully selected based on their expertise, experience, and commitment to excellence. They are dedicated to the success of this organization, and we believe they will be a valuable asset to the team.”

However, before the announcement of the committee, many students of the Department of English had shown their displeasure over the loopholes in the constitution. They affirmed that the constitution had outlived its existence as it could not protect the big interest of the NASELSites. Parts of the topics against the constitution, which is now seven years old, are its ambiguous precepts over subject matters that relate to using power, whom to preside over a congress, the role of the press, and the lack of legislative council in the department, just to mention a few.

President Sinmiloluwa later opened a poll so that the NASELSites could approve or disprove the committee. As of 7.21 p.m., 35 NASELSites have unanimously approved the committee.