The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Tuesday, while inaugurating the Electoral Body and Students Electoral Petition Commission which will pave way for the smooth conduct of students’ Union election has charged the students of the institution not to be confrontational in their approach, but tow the way of constructive engagement whenever they want to drive their demands home.
The inauguration of the electoral umpire is part of the promise made by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eyitayo Ogunbodede to fully reinstate all organs of students unionism in OAU.
The management stated this in a release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, who quoted the Dean of Students’ Union Affairs, DSA, Prof Isiaka Aransi as saying that, the students should not to be confrontational and grandstanding in their approach. Rather, they should employ constructive engagement and dialogue to resolve issues with the management.
The VC had issued a directive to the DSA to set in motion concrete steps to achieve installation of vibrant and more articulate students unionism.
Ogunbodede urged the students to see unionism as an incubating stage of socio-political leadership where they could learn rudiments of how the people, states and nations are governed.
He charged the DSA, to do all within his power to sensitise the generality of students on the need to see and nurture the union without any rancour or fracas.
Highlighting the essence of the inauguration of the two electoral bodies, Professor Aransi, stated that the expectation of the University community is for the Electoral Commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections while the Electoral Petition Commission is to handle all complaints arising from the election, with high sense of duty and decency, without fear or favour.
“It is the expectation of the University community for the Electoral Commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections while the Electoral Petition Commission is to handle all complaints arising from the election, with high sense of duty and decency, without fear or favour, ” Aransi quoted the VC as stated in the release.
Present at the occasion were the Deans of faculties, students across departments and members of the University community.
The inauguration of the electoral umpire is coming four years after the management suspended activities of students’ union following a face-off between some union leaders which according to the management posed security threat to the university community.
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