ÀBÍKÚ: THE JOYLESS CHILD OF THE FACULTY OF ARTS

Everyone knows an àbíkú is a joyless child. The only happiness it seeks is to keep its parents in cycles of pain and despair. The yearly problem that comes with the production of ID cards has become to the faculty what to an àbíkú is to its parents. Every year ID cards and their production does not go without raising dusts. But somehow, nobody seems to have learned any lessons. But can you blame this joyless child? The Executive council and the Faculty Legislative Council, the confounded parents of this joyless child have indulged it for too long.
In the emergency sitting held by the Faculty Legislative Council, the House addressed issues surrounding the production of ID cards. The AFAS President, Eniola Francis, had earlier sent a letter to the House, stating that there had been an increase in the price of production of the ID cards. This increase in price would mean an increase in the original price or a reduction of quality. All these then generated questions from the Honorable members of the House on the use and importance of the ID cards. Now that someone is finally asking these questions, everyone should get adequate answers.
The House has voted for the President should go ahead with the production of the cards. But then, it is the eighth week of the semester, which means there is less than six weeks to the end of the session. One would then ask what use an ID card will be to students who have survived without it at this point. Truthfully, a lot of cogent reasons may have been responsible for this delay. But this also means something. It is time the Executive council found a lasting solution to late issuance of ID cards to students.
Over time, AFAS ID cards have been proven to serve little to no purpose. The University’s ID card has nullified any need for the faculty to have another ID card, as long as it does not come with any special feature or details. The university’s ID card, contains basic information- name, department, hall of residence, which should for the basic requirements. AFAS ID cards, on the other hand, merely repeat these details. What, then, is the use of the faculty ID card to an average AFASite? The length of time students have been without the ID cards, answers this question. Many of those who pay for the ID cards only collect for collection sake.
This however, does not erase the realities of those who genuinely find a use for the ID cards. Undoubtedly, there have been instances where the faculty ID card has been tendered in the case of the unavailability of others. Now that the university is yet to issue ID cards to fresh students, the faculty ID card would have been a Messiah. But now that it is not available when it is needed the most, it is of no use to students.
In another light, if we assume everyone finds a use for the ID cards, what functions does it perform that the other ID cards do not already have. The details on the AFAS ID cards are a mere repitition of those on others ID cards, in a modified version. If the Executive council or the next executive council thinks the issuance of ID cards is a venture they want to continue with, then, they should think deeply about initiatiating innovative ideas to ensure the ID cards maintain relevance.
But if all of these things will not be taken care of; if all these questions will be left unanswered; if we will have to keep debating on the use of an ID card, then it is probably time the idea of ID cards be scrapped. The faculty will have a lot of energy to conserve than catering to an àbíkú.