​THOUGHTS ON AFAS POLITICS

By Lolade Olu-Ojegbeje
Montesquieu in his Spirit of the Law (1784) maintains that power must be separated to prevent tyranny. This underlines the fact that the arms of government (and other bodies) are in place to check the activities of one another, while each one still exercises its autonomy. Importing these words into AFAS, the executive, legislature, the press, and other bodies are in place to check the activities of one another while each one retains its autonomy. Then, what happens if any of the bodies go contrary to the Constitutional provisions.
Lately, the arms and bodies that constitute the association have not been on the same page. The executive led by Lijadu Isaac is slacking and has not really been efficient in the discharge of its duties to this association. In the 8th week of the second semester, one would naturally expect that the faculty would be a hub of activities in accordance with known tradition. It is rather quite disappointing that the faculty cannot be differentiated from what it looked like last semester when the whole atmosphere was always boring. No activity has been scheduled to mark the uniqueness of the semester besides the just concluded AFAS and I which was of course a rushed event. Faculty shirts and package which should have been distributed or be ready for distribution have not even been produced. In fact, the executive is still very much indecisive about the shirts and package to give AFASites.
Mr. Speaker, no one needs your magnanimity

The Faculty Legislative Council (FLC) seems to regard itself as the most powerful tool, violating the principle of separation of power and check and balances which states that none of the arms have absolute power, therefore, none is superior to the other. The FLC seems to have forgotten this. The house believes that it has to be ‘magnanimous’ while approving budgets. It is therefore pertinent to remind ourselves of the meaning of ‘magnanimous’ as the meaning seems to be unknown to the honourable members. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines ‘magnanimous’ as being kind, generous and forgiving towards an enemy or rival. Is this then a display of superiority? The house should be reminded that each organ of the association is autonomous.

Worthy of note is that the house that always claim to adhere strictly to the constitution has decided to organize a quiz competition that will not be planned in conjunction with the executive council. It is not entirely the fault of the house to usurp the duties of the sleeping executives. Yet, it is still beyond the duty of the house to organize such programme.

The last sitting the house held on Friday, 19th October, points to so many wrongs in the acclaimed rightness of the hallowed chamber. During the sitting, the Council of Presidents and Secretaries (CPS) presented its budget for the ‘Art in the Arts’ which is an initiative of the CPS. The proposed event was to celebrate African culture in the faculty. The house however did not approve the budget claiming that it is beyond the constitutional duties of the CPS. Even when the CPS chairman promised to get some things sorted out without taking from AFAS’ purse; the house insisted that the event should be adopted into the cultural day during the AFAS week. Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the same house that insists that the proposed ‘Art in the Arts’ by the CPS should be adopted into the AFAS week has refused to plan its proposed quiz competition in conjunction with the executive council because the financial obligation is not from the association’s purse.  Is this not a display of superiority and mere passion for recognition? Should we be flogging our collective duties and responsibilities to AFASites because of where the fund comes from?   Even when one identifies with the argument of the speaker, is it a crime for the quiz competition to be adopted into the AFAS week as well?

On the other hand, the last sitting has also shown that the activities of the house have been reduced to something typical of village meetings where autocratic village heads give orders and the chiefs cannot argue with him. The honourable members in the house seem to have lost their polemic or we should rather say the speaker is not giving them the chance to express themselves as they would want to because he talks more than is necessary. They put forth little or no argument to the decisions of the speaker. It was rather disappointing, when at the sitting, that only one out of the honourable members present gave a contrary opinion to the speaker’s decision to merge the ‘Arts in Arts’ with the AFAS week that is yet to be fixed. What about the other honourable members? They were all just giving ‘celestial way forward while the best contribution some could make is the chant of ‘powerful!!!’.

It is disheartening that the situation of AFAS politics at the moment is pure Alice in Wonderland. Whatever happens at the end of the session, be sure to remember that decision making does not rely with the executive alone nor does it lie at the door step of the powerful legislature. Every decision is a combined idea of the two arms even though the FLC has always shown itself to be more powerful than the others.