Praise Olorunfemi

The constitution is regarded as a set of agreed rules, regulations, stipulations, and principles of governing that are binding on or over a people. Be it in terms of countries, organisations, bodies or associations. Having said that, in the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies, University of Ibadan (NASELS, UI) being an association, there is also a constitution, which is binding on every member of the association. One of the aims of instituting a constitution is primarily for order, to make sure things are in order first before other things. Now, being a student in the Department of English, this concept should not be hard to grasp, as, as a secondary school student in government class, one of the most rotely foregrounded characteristics of a sovereign state is, the ability for such a state to be able to maintain law and order, emphasis on ‘order’ for the sake of this piece. 

Now given the nature of life and mankind, nothing remains the same, everything is moving, changing, and evolving, hence, the order of things also evolves. For example, if the order of things in a customer care service point for a mobile phone producer was to pick a numbered tally upon arrival in 2019, it is very possible that by 2021, there is a 95% probability that this order would have changed. That is to say, rules are dynamic, and regulations, stipulations and principles of governing are also dynamic, they do not remain static. Most importantly, these rules, regulations, stipulations, and principles of governing should be geared towards progressive development. Hence, a need for these things to be reviewed after being used actively for a while.

So, in like manner, just like most constitutions would make provision for a periodical review, the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies at the University of Ibadan, also makes provision for a periodical review. Now, according to the NASELS, UI constitution, a review of the constitution should be done after every four years of use. However, from the old constitution, it appears that the old constitution was the first of its kind, and was drafted in 2015, that is, the 2015/2016 set drafted the old NASELS Constitution. The committee responsible for the setup of the constitution at that time was named “CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMMITTEE (2015/2016)”, which hints that, before that time, there was no tangible or binding constitution in NASELS UI, until the drafting of one in 2015 by the “CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMMITTEE (2015/2016)”. It is also noticeable that since then, 2015, there has been no review of the NASELS constitution until the last recent one under the Similoluwa-led regime, which seems to be the first review.

Checking through the Departmental Library, a portrait was found labelled 2005/2006, which depicted there was an association in the department before NASELS existed as an association in the department. The portrait contained the pictures of Executive Members of the association in the department, with the then current Staff-Adviser. However, the portrait has a different name of association, ASSEN which is different from what it is today, NASELS UI. Piecing these together, it seemed as if what we have today in the department is a metamorphosis from what it used to be before. Whatever the case may be, it appears that the last constitution review was the first constitution review the NASELS UI Constitution has gone through after its first drafting in 2015. However, there are irregularities in the reviewed constitution that need to be addressed as fast as possible 

Now, having argued in previous paragraphs the need for the cycling of rules and regulations, first on the basis that, the nature of life itself is not a static one, and by further implications, rules, regulations, stipulations, and governing principles are naturally dynamic, emphasis must be made on progressive development. That is, these things should evolve in response to the improvement of life. A strikingly conflicting idea in the reviewed constitution has to do with matters concerning the NASELS Press Organisation. Against the backdrop of the old constitution, the NASELS Press, cannot be members of the Electoral Committee but has been restricted to just observers in the reviewed constitution. However, the NASELS Press is further encumbered with the responsibility of playing vital roles during bye-elections, going through the documents of interested aspirants. If the reviewed constitution opines that the Press should not be involved in the election screening, which is very absurd, the Press should also not be indulged in bye-elections. Another irregularity is that a member of the press organisation cannot form a quorum during a Congress, yet a pressman is also a financial member of the association, and most likely the most faithful financially. It is also interesting how, Article 34, X, states that the NASELS Press “Shall answer to the summons of the NLC, especially in cases of

Investigation”. What exactly is a Press Organisation, a committee under the NLC, or an extension of the Executive Council?

Although, writing things down or jotting things down may seem straightforward, nevertheless, the extent to which a written down rule will prove it feasible straightforwardness is how practicable it can be. The same cold reality is what the theoretical ideology of socialism has turned out to be practically speaking, it is best a lofty idea, with a very tiny slim chance of reality in it. These modified clauses and conditions of operation guiding the activities of the NASELS Press in the NASELS UI Constitution, as reviewed, are both absurd and contradictory. There is nowhere in the University of Ibadan where the Press is restricted to just being electoral observers. A press representative remains one of the most neutral entity in the Electoral Committee, and the only beacon of hope, should the committee be compromised. It now becomes a question of what is the motive behind deliberately truncating the membership and involvement of the press in an Electoral Committee.

It is important to understand the role of a press organisation in a society, and in the community. In the NASELS constitution, a member of the NASELS Press, must first be a student of the department, then a member of the association, before becoming a member of the Press. Now, being a member of the Press do not affect the basic membership requirements for anyone to who would form a Congress, and by extension a quorum. Press members are not given extra privileges, in fact in some sort, a Press members somewhat has more obligatory duties than other members of the association, now trying to strip a press member of his or her basic rights is a version social injustice. NASELS Press constitution should not be one that insinuates and encourages social injustice, subtle indirect malpractice, and an attempt on direct or indirect marginalisation.