Analysis: AFAS Constitution Review Committee’s Propositions

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Aduwo Ayodele

Plans are underway to review or add new modalities to the current constitution guiding the activities of the Association of Faculty of Art Students. This effort, coming into shape is made necessary because of the ‘misreckoning’ and oversight of the existing constitution. It was on the basis of this that a Constitution Review Committee (CRC), convened by the Faculty Legislative Council was formed several weeks back to spur necessary changes, toward improving the welfare and conduct of the students’ association. Change is truly the only constant thing. It is the single characteristic of life that reflects and could improve relevance.


Since, every generation must review its desires or its means, in order not to end up astray from its aspiration, the need to set the lamp straight and atop its journey is essential. It is what they say the law does. It set the table right before dinners. It polishes a rough journey. It guides lawmakers right. It conveys individual members of the Executive council to a journey of clear-cut commitment. It improves the welfare condition of students, saving the wreck and its angles from hitting or conflicting.


Following all these, the Constitution Review Committee of the Faculty of Arts was vested with the responsibility to review or evaluate the relevance and objectivity of the AFAS Constitution, a written tenet that has continued to wave the sail of the Association onward. Doing this, the Association has touched its concern on key issues as follows;


Article 13: Committee of Presidents and Secretaries (CPS)
The Constitution Review Committee is currently making inference on the role that the Committee of Presidents and Secretaries (CPS) play. The committee reestablished that the role of the CPC should remain advisory to the Executive Council, alongside other constitutional stipulations as provided for.


It was at this point that the Constitution Review Chairman in the person of Rt. Hon. Olasoji Akindejoye noted that the constitution can be redressed to allow for equal representation, of all existing associations in the faculty. His observation was situated to create room for diverging associations like the Yoruba Studies Students’ Association, among others which exist independently of the Linguistic Students’ departmental association. Contrarily, a member of the committee, Oke Ayobami made a counter-reaction, noting that the partitioning would lead the likes of European studies to break out from its single contraption.


Also, the Constitution Review Committee has proposed, in addition to the provision of Article 13, item (iii) which states that the CPS “shall select its chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary” be considered appropriate to have an Assistant Secretary that will support the Secretary or play the same vested role in the absence of the Secretary.


Article 14: Call for Congress
The Committee has suggested the review of Article 14, item (xi) which states that ‘the FLC shall have the power to require the President to call a congress on demand by an AFASITE in written form”. Towards replacing the statement, the CRC proposed that 10 AFASITES each from at least 2/3 of the department in the faculty should have the power to demand or call for a congress.
Article 15: Powers of the Congress
The CRC also proposed editing the word “all” which should be replaced with “only”, considering it as a befitting, accurate, and definite term.


Article 16: Quorum of the Congress
To form the quorum of the congress, the CRC crisscrossing proposed that a quorum can be formed only if 2/3 of departments are represented by at least ten (10) financial members.


Article 17: Meeting and Business of the Congress
The CRC also suggested a modification in the provision of Article 17; in a case where the congress is uncomfortable with the presiding officer. It established that a person elected/appointed by members present at the congress shall preside. Also, item (iv) of the same Article (17) which required members of AFAS “to show their students’ identity cards before entering the venue of the congress” has been evaluated to instead allow members to show their AFAS due receipts and any means of identification before being allowed into the premise of the congress.


Article 18: Membership
The CRC committee also proposed that item (ii) which says “the FLC shall be made up of three elected representatives from each Departmental Students’ Association” should be redressed to reflect all constituencies or levels. This will give 100 levels ample opportunity to be duly represented in the Faculty Legislative Council. The Committee proposed that election for 100L students into the FLC be held not later than the first five weeks of resumption into the first semester. The CRC also proposed that year one student would however not be allowed to hold principal offices.


Vice President: Administration & Academics
The CRC has suggested that the office of the Vice President be partitioned distinctively into two. The Committee proposes that the office of the Vice President (Administrator) should directly assist and advise the President in his duties. While the CRC emphasized that the office of the Vice President (Academics) should be established for academic activities strictly.


Article 11: Director of Social and Welfare
The CRC has proposed that Article 11, section H, be split into two distinct offices also to distinguish responsibilities between a director of social activities and a welfare officer. The Committee plans to set the office of the Director of Social activities aside from the Welfare; who would be responsible for matters relating to the general welfare of members of the Association.


These are just some of the proposed changes from the Constitution Review Committee. These changes if approved by the house will certainly change the political landscape in AFAS.

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