Report of the joint committee on the Call-off Party
Aduwo Ayodele
In the course of its sitting on Saturday, 3rd of December, 2022, the Faculty of Art Legislative Council entertained the inquiry made by the Joint Committee on the issue surrounding the Call-off party. The report of the inquiry, written and directed to the attention of the Chairperson, Committee of the Whole, doubling as the Speaker of the Council, showed the following: a step-by-step analysis on the issue of the Call-off party, context and justification on the issue, and recommendations of the Committee.
The report started spelling out the allegations made by the Sub-Dean against the office of President, Association of Faculty of Art Students, in the person of Akinyoola Emmanuel. The Committee narrated the allegations against Mr. Akinyoola Emmanuel as follows:
– “That he, Akinyoola Emmanuel, used his office as the president of AFAS to organize a party: CALL OFF PARTY.”
– “That he gave the Sub-Dean, Faculty of Arts, the impression that the Association’s Staff Advisers were aware of the party and that he had also sent them letters concerning the said party.”
– “That he refused to disclose the amount of money, souvenirs, and gift items collected from the sponsor(s) to the staff advisers and the FLC.”
– “That he refused to pay the money collected from the sponsor(s) and money generated from the sales of tickets into the Association’s account.”
With these allegations levied against the office of the President, the committee established that “the president of AFAS, did hold a party using the name of the Association, AFAS.” It went further to state categorically that “the party was majorly a personal project and that he, (Mr. Akinyoola) was only partnering with AFAS.”
The Committee, according to the context of its report, also established that the President of AFAS “did not make the terms of the partnership clear to the staff advisers and other relevant arms” except with the executive council. In furtherance, it also established that “the name of the Association, AFAS, was not used to solicit funds from the sponsor(s)”. That, “the brand, AKOEM, with its connections, solely got the funds and gift items for the party.”
Given the above highlights, the Joint Committee went ahead describing the crux of the whole case as “the use of the Large Lecture Theatre”.
The Committee pointed out that the President of the Association had intended using NFLT at the Faculty of Science as the venue for what he termed a personal event. The report said Mr. Akinyoola discarded his initial will to use the venue following “the condition of a fifty thousand naira remuneration”. This, the report narrated, prompted the eventual use of LLT, situated within the Faculty of Art. An act which was narrated as follows:
“He wrote a letter to the Sub-Dean and the Staff Advisers for permission to use LLT, and him, the president, being under the impression that the Sub-Dean had been carried along with the whole affair, went ahead to use the LLT without getting an official go-ahead order from the Sub-Dean.”
However, in its attempt to provide justification, the Joint Committee of the Council vested with the task to make an introspection into the case “implore(d) the House to fall back to the conventions of the Association.”
The very Ad hoc Committee noted that there was “an unwritten rule which provides justification on the side of the president”. It went further to state that “this convention provides power for the executive council to hold favourable parties for AFAS without following the rigorous due process – so far no money will be withdrawn from the Association’s purse for the purpose.” Adding to that, it explained that “the executive council is tasked with the responsibility of providing a report on the party.”
Drawing its conclusion, the Joint Committee led by Hon. Alagunfon Luqman Olalekan emphasized that “the president has no issue with the Association, but with the management, particularly the Sub-Dean” in its report. It added that “there seems to be an existing relationship between them, which the president leveraged, on good intent, for the purpose of the party.”
Inferring its ultimate recommendation, the Committee noted that the matter, undergoing investigation at the Students Affairs Unit, should be awaited until resolutions are made on it.
