Funmilola Adediji and Praise Olorunfemi 

It was harvest time. Saro, the merchant farmer, went out as early as 4 am, to get more labourers and harvesters to work on his farm, for he had a large farm. He returned around 7:30 and with about 35 labourers (we are talking about a farm as big as the University of Ibadan), they agreed to work till 6:00 pm for ₦15,000. 

By the time it was 12 noon, Saro was not satisfied with the pace of the harvest, so he hired 25 more workers, and Saro kept hiring till it was 5:30 pm, that is, some labourers worked for just 30 minutes. It was time to collect their wages, the early labourers were paid the same amount as the labourers that just started work from 3:00 pm downward. This really upset the labourers who had started working on the plantation from 8:00 am. They were thinking of protesting and causing unrest. Saro got a hint of this and rushed down to the farm to see what was going on, then he addressed all of them together asking them openly what their agreement was before they started work on the farm, and they all affirmed ₦15,000 was the agreement, so Saro faced the dissenters and asked what the matter was again.

Now, just like Saro’s farm, in an association, different aspects require different offices and leaders. The Association of Faculty of Art Students is no different. However, for six months, some offices were vacant, as there were no candidates who contested for these positions. According to the AFAS Constitution, a bye-election had to be conducted to fill in these vacant political offices. Although an electoral college was formed, the forming of this electoral college became a matter of concern when the whole process was dragged to roughly less than three months to the end of the Mojuba-led administration, the team New-Era’s regime. The long-anticipated Bye-Election was finally conducted which both filled the vacant offices; the office of the Vice President, Sports Director and Financial Secretary, and also added new executives to the executives on ground already.

However, the whole business of filling these political positions, and how it has unfolded, has nurtured various thoughts, controversies, and questionings, definitely within the faculty for sure, and most likely, outside the faculty. The entire process has had quite a mixed impression on AFASites. From an angle, many AFASites have expressed their excitement that the long-vacant positions are finally occupied and things will go better as they should, as these vacant positions were crucial ones in the operation of the association. The excitement of many is that the administration of the association will be more effective, and accountable and even promote better inclusivity. Now taking a look from another angle, a thought-provoking question has been raised by many, which is; what is the fate of the newly elected executives?

Now, this thought-provoking question has been raised based on the circumstances surrounding the newly elected executives. As it is well known that the academic session is gradually coming to an end, giving the newly elected executives roughly just two months to function in their various offices. Is time really on their side? Although it sounds rhetorical, this rhetorical question will definitely not mind an answer. Time is a crucial factor, but it happens to be what the newly elected executives have scarcely, it then facilitates the question if the entire process of conducting a Bye-Election and swearing in these executives is not a futile effort or fruitless endeavour. 

Taking us back to the whole process that brought about the Bye-Election, it should be known that there were quite a number of hurdles, most of which were internal kind of issues, which delayed the whole process, paramount of the hurdles include the arguments surrounding the modalities of forming the electoral committee for the Bye-Election. An issue the Faculty’s President, Mojuba, seemed quite particular about, then, was the discrepancy regarding the Faculty’s Constitution which led to and strengthened some other issues that hindered the conduction of the Bye-Election. A common question will be asked if these newly admitted executives can work or do something tangible within this period because even ten months in an office has been proven by many politicians to be too short to deliver or function in their offices. How then will it be for the newly elected ones, who only have two months left to perform?

This Bye-Election whole business has not left AFAS and AFASites without its By-products, even to the point of swearing-in these newly elected executives into their various offices. The thought and the perception of some AFASites, and some members of the Executive Council concerning the newly elected Executives, seem to challenge the motion of fairness and rewards. The best way to describe this scenario is what happened on Saro’s farm in the short narration that opened this piece,  Saro paid everyone the same amount, despite some starting at different times, an agreed payment. Many have reacted that the newly elected executives will receive the same rewards and benefits that those who have been in office for about seven months will also receive. A question about whether electing new executives encourages fairness and impartiality in the student association is raised. However, this seemingly controversial perception can also be looked into.

The perception is questionable because many have forgotten the purpose for having an association, if the pivotal reasons for having an association are being considered, can we then say that discussing rewards may be seen as a selfish viewpoint? As a student association, the main focus should be ensuring that everything about the students’ needs is well taken care of and in fulfilling this, everything has to be put in place and all hands must be on deck. Although, some see it as disheartening, that instead of focusing on moving the faculty ahead such concerns have clouded the minds of some, but also the question remains, how fair this is on an individual?