Proposed AFAS Constitution review: A necessity or luxury?

By Olajide Oladokun

Democracy, which was defined by Abraham Lincoln, as ‘the government of the people, by the people and for the people, has been described over the years as the best form of government. Democracy ensures that the governed have a say in how they are being governed. Little wonder it is practiced almost all over the world. At the core of every democracy are some inalienable pillars, without which democracy will become a toothless dog. All these pillars are however tied to a constant factor and that is the constitution; a written instrument embodying the rules of a political or social organization. The importance of a constitution in any democratic setting can never be overemphasized. It spells out in clear term what is expected of each member of the society and adherence to it keeps the society in sane.

Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS) is not an exception. As a student organization, there are two major arms; the executive and the legislative council, charged with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the students in line with the dictates of the constitution. However, there had been cases of maladministration or misappropriation as the case may be and many AFASITES were quick to frown at the stance of the constitution on such issues, hence, there is a need to review the constitution that was drafted over 20 years ago. In this regard, this article hopes to examine if reviewing the constitution is important right now or just a profitless venture.

On AFAS Membership

Maybe we should start this argument from here, membership of any organization is usually voluntary but it seems AFAS Constitution has a different opinion on this or should we say it needs more clarification. Article 6 of the constitution states that “A member of this association shall be any registered student of the university, under the Faculty of Arts and a financial member…” A financial member means one who paid the basic due. Does this mean payment of due is optional? If it is, what is this talk about needing the receipt for your final year clearance? To this end, the constitution should be reviewed to state in clear terms what and what not membership of AFAS constitutes. Come to think of it, the constitution listed out in Article 7, the privileges members of the association enjoy but fails to highlight what should happen if there is any infringement on those privileges.

On Imprest Account of the Treasurer

One of the principal members of the association is the Treasurer, constitutionally charged with the responsibility of keeping and disbursing money on behalf of the association. However, the constitution states in Article 31, section III, that “The Treasurer shall be empowered to keep an Imprest account of not less than ten thousand naira.” This part was probably coined when the purchasing value of naira was on the high side and you could probably buy half of Bodija market with the stipulated amount. Nowadays, it won’t even last a week with frequent visit to Tedder cafeteria. The effect of this is that the treasurer or financial secretary, as the case may be, will be in a dilemma; either leave some important issues unattended to or execute some unapproved minor projects, just to keep the association going. Either way, it won’t speak well of the person occupying that office. Ask the immediate past Financial secretary and she will narrate her ordeal in that regard. Therefore, to avoid a repeat of what happened last session, the price should be reviewed to meet the current market value of naira and prevent unnecessary name-calling.

On Qualification for Election

Chapter 7, Article 36, Section IV of AFAS Constitution states that, “a CGPA of 3.5 shall be the minimum for any post.” This part of the constitution generated lots of controversy in the last election hence the need for its urgent review. Initially, AFASIEC announced that the minimum qualification still stands but was later lowered to 2.5 with a clause that it will return to normal in subsequent elections. Some supporters of certain candidate felt the decision was unfair and the credibility of the election should be questioned. However, there is an underlying factor that should not be forgotten; the University of Ibadan adopted the 4.0 grading system in 2016 and you my learned audience will agree with me that AFAS Constitution has been operational before then. In other words, the 3.5 benchmark was set when the University’s grading system was 7.0, so logic demands that the benchmark be lowered to its equivalent in the new grading system.

From all indication, AFAS Constitution is outdated, hence it should be reviewed and updated to meet the current market value and grading standard, and this should be treated as a necessity. Only there and then will AFAS be able to boast of being a truly democratic association, because “a great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy.”