CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: A WORMED HOOK When they seek to destroy common history, creed, customs, and conventions and in short weaken the strongest paddle that has steered the titanic away from the ice-berg for decades/centuries, they coat and hide their sinister and hideous agenda with the hymns of change. Change, an attractive worm indeed, the people do not beware. They swallow a fatal hook line and sinker. The fish does not live to tell its tale. The fisherman knows better. THE GENESIS OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: The original mention of constitutional amendment to my hearing was at a two-day leadership retreat organized by the office of the DSA for the newly elected Union leaders between 5 – 6th of June 2014 where the DSA in a most disrespectful manner rained invectives on the Students’ Union constitution condemning it in these words – “Your constitution does not have values and goals.” While this is the only solid statement that settled in my mind, others were unworthy of mentioning and dusty that they had been blown away by the wind of forgetfulness. The Hon? Speaker of the SRC, the self acclaimed Chief Custodian of the constitution in his response rather than demand that the DSA recant such an indecorous statement against our common history, creed and custom unashamedly corroborated the position of the Chief Mistress in his bride’s train and promised her a review of the constitution. MY POSITION ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION: In any organization, the secretariat can humbly boast to be its shrine and conscience, while its members no matter their offices are like the mouths. The secretariat is the embodiment of all the historical paperwork hitherto containing the long standing ethics, values, traditions of the organization. The secretary or clerk whatsoever called can lay richer claim to knowledge of organizational history, principles, ethos and ethics. Where the constitution is silent on salient issues, these paperwork show what the conventions are. Based on this, as the secretary/clerk of the SRC, I can lay claim to a robust knowledge of our parliamentarians as their chief priest and conscience. I know their strength, morale, their morality, character and weaknesses. I can pronounce expectedly whether they have the strength to reshape or carve a new paddle for the titanic – that is to amend the constitution Moreover, it sounds autocratic to impose these pronouncements; I shall leave it to the discretion of Great Ife students as I take you on panoramic achievements of this six month old parliament: 1. The exoneration of the parliament from the fee-hike struggle: you will find it interesting to note the loyalty of these persons when in July, consequent upon the school closure and appearances of the student activists before kangaroo investigative panels, the Hon? Speaker and the Deputy Speaker in a joint letter (on the letter head of the parliament) addressed to the University Authority exonerated the parliament from the fee-hike protest. Without my signature to this mutinous letter, I was the only one placed under probationary rustication among the three leaders of the SRC, while the Speaker and DSP remained unscathed. 2. Inability to enforce its own resolutions: on the 9th June 2014, the parliament at its first sitting resolved that, “elections be conducted in Awolowo Hall immediately its residents are back for wide and democratic participation.” The leadership of the House in conspiracy with the authorities foiled its implementation until a congress of Awoites elected its Excos. 3. The parliament could not enforce its resolution of the 27th of August 2014 that, “the president give a report of the fee-hike struggle before a congress of students. 4. It ordered that the Electoral Commission conduct a referendum over the question of fee-hike struggle. Till today, the results of the referendum remain inconclusive. 5. Holding an acclaimed budget sitting in a most desperate manner behind closed doors, under heavy security guard, amidst flood of water, flow of blood and vandalism. A proud achievement indeed. 6. A parliament whose member began to debate allowances for themselves would in a split seconds import similar disgraceful act into the constitution thereby setting a wrong precedence that will inspire the input of salaries and pensions for union executives as it is being done in DELSU for example while they have shown gross and crass lackadaisical attitude towards the welfare and reinstatement of her suspended members. The parliament since inception has operated under the heavy burden of an unholy alliance between its leadership, the DSA and CEC. Based on this alliance, the leadership of the SRC has reduced the parliament to an annex of the DSA and an accomplice of the CEC such that its constitutional watchdog role is subverted and undermined. This alliance in most recent times has seen the CEC violate the 72 hours ultimatum issued it to reimburse the HECs with their constitutional minimum of 15% subventions. Take note, the revelations of gross financial misappropriation by the CEC is only a scratch on the surface of deep rooted financial improprieties. Our collective concern is however that these persons are not contented with misappropriating the financial treasure in our great ship – Union. The management inspired rewriting of the constitution is the final attempt to weaken and seize the paddle (constitution), and in the final analysis sink the ship. While these persons will only say the constitution is silent on the issues of the indictment, CGPA, etc, the Speaker at the Congress of 14th January 2015 unconsciously revealed some secret proposed amendment. At the congress, the Speaker unconvincingly and in an un-Great Ife manner argued for the supremacy of the SRC to a congress of Student. While these persons seek to steal congressional supremacy, they desperately in conspiracy with the management want to erase constitutional provisions for a congress of Great Ife student. They equally want to make the Union a presidential Union not responsible to either the congress or SRC and before the twinkle of an eye, a Union becomes a government, spelling the end and doom of an era. Greatest Ife, if they say constitution is silent on CGPA and indictment, a congress of students can be made to make exact pronouncements on those slim issues rather than embark on constitutional review. We are not enemies of change but we can discern those who have the clean hands, character, and honesty of purpose to be engineers of the change we need. I make a clarion call on all Greatest Ife students not only to abort but also to choke the idea of constitutional review both in the womb of its original author and midwives. Change, we love, but beware, the worm is hooked!! REINSTATE OAU-6 NOW!!! Com. AZARO
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 21:23:46 +0000
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