POLITICAL PROFILE

In this edition of political profile interview, the Vice-president, Association of Faculty of Art Students, Olajumoke Olorunfemi provides her responses to a series of questions posed by AFASPRESS correspondent, Àdúwò Ayòdélé.

Good day. Please, tell us about yourself.

I am Olajumoke Olorunfemi. I am a 400-level student from the department of European Studies, (German major) Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan. I am the Vice President, Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS).

In what capacities have you served?

I served as the Public Relations Officer of my department in 100 level, I represented my unit (German unit) at the Faculty Legislative Council (FLC) in 200 level, under European Studies constituency. In 300 level, I was part of some sub-committees of AFAS week and ASES in my department before I became the Vice President of AFAS, now in my 400 level.

Tell us about your journey into campus politics?

My journey as a student-politician began when I started to discover myself from a tender age. I love leadership roles even from primary school. I love to serve people and I continued in secondary school, through my government teacher who imbibed in me the zeal for politics. In 100 level, I continued, thanks to my former departmental president who encouraged me to check into school politics. Then, we had a vacant role of PRO and Assistant General Secretary in my department. So, because I liked using social media often, I contested for the post and won and since then I have been into school politics.

What are your guiding principles when it comes to politics?

My ideology about leadership roles generally is that a leader is a servant, not the boss. That has been guiding me, in the sense that it helps to know when to stand in for your people and to deliver what is expected of you.

What are the challenges thus far?

My challenges so far, as a student politician has been people themselves, because everyone wants to be satisfied, forgetting that they all have different expectations. In the process of satisfying the majority, I tend to attract a lot of criticism from those whose idea has not been attended to or implemented. You know how it feels when you sacrifice a lot of things (time, money, and even academics) to serve the people with all your ability without being paid as a student politician, yet you are not being appreciated.

How has campus politics or leadership helped you?

It has exposed me to know more about people and the differences in ideologies. That has then made me a balanced individual that can harbor people’s opinions with calmness. I can talk, walk and relate with anybody irrespective of age or caliber. Also, student leadership has continued to sharpen my self-esteem.

Let us flashback. What prompted you to run for the office of the Vice-president, and not the presidency or others?

What prompted me to run for the office of the Vice President of AFAS and not any other post within the university community was that most of the time while I was serving in the FLC, former Vice Presidents have always felt attacked on their functions anytime the Legislative Council scrutinizes their budgets and plans and sometimes they become emotional – that if it was easy to do, many of us should also try it. This motivated me to run for this post to let them know that it is not as difficult as they thought it is. It is not that I can not serve in any other position in the Executive Council or across other levels within the University Community as I have done that severally and I succeeded. I decided to go for Vice Presidency to prove how things can be done better.

What are your achievements as the incumbent Vice-president?

In the case of achievements, I will not state individual achievement but the collective achievement of our administration (Team Altruism). We have been able to succeed in the renovation of the Faculty’s female toilet, and we have also been able to push for the renovation of the Faculty’s library. Also, we have been working to an extent on indigent students in trying to create minor jobs for them like brands that need volunteers. For example, when we did Call-off party, ‘Let’s Chat’ was around, and we had AFASites that worked with them. We have also been able to repair sockets that have been malfunctioning. We also have some projects that are still pending because we can not do them without the knowledge of the Faculty Management.

What can you say about the sense of inclusion Afasites have under your administration?

The sense of inclusion in AFAS has been satisfying to an extent, in the sense that we’ve been able to carry Afasites along in a lot of things that we do. Talk of the sporting activity that was meant to happen. This should be like the first time that I will see a group for Super4 in AFAS, and then we have a lot of members in it and then we also have some sport groups for men and women. I love the fact that Afasites are participating, and are getting involved. In terms of getting committees, anytime we are out there to fix that, Afasites are always available. In the sense of relations, when Afasites approach us, we always welcome them with open arms and we like to always listen to them even when they come to criticize, because we know we can’t see everything roundabout. We can only see a side. We believe that they have seen another side of us. Anytime they come with complaints, we always like to listen to them. Even at the University level, Afasites are respected because of the way we’ve been able to relate or portray our people. Sincerely, Afasites are loved.

What can you say about the leadership of the Students’ Union?

Well, they’ve done well in their own capacity. They’ve really done well considering the strike – not having students around. They have been able to do a little that they can in their best capacity. The Vice-president and President have been able to do their best. I feel the Students’ Union more this session than last session. I feel we have a Union better than last session. Last session, I did not know most of the Executives, but now this people have been able to come out to us.

On the possibility of Tuition Fee increment, what do you have to say?

Well, concerning the policy of increment in tuition fee in Universities, really, one of the major things we get from the Government is the semi-free education that they are giving us. But now, if they are increasing it, a lot of people wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition fee. Even the little amount that they feel we are paying, a lot of people can’t afford it due to the poverty rate in Nigeria, where everybody is trying to get themselves educated and get themselves a certificate at least. If they are depriving youths of this opportunity, they are gradually killing the future of Nigeria because a land without educated people will eventually die in chaos.
My advice to them is to maintain the amount we are paying or reduce the amount we are paying, to get more people into the University system. Not all graduates are employed, but at least, they have hope that they have a certificate that can be demanded anytime. If that right to own a certificate is taken away, we would have more hoodlums, more garage boys and more robbers on the street.

What do you think of mainstream politics?

About mainstream politics, with the little experiences I have and the associations I have joined, I would say it is too clumsy and we have a lot of people that feels so entitled to some things. Imagine you going for a particular post, councilor as small as it is, and then they would tell you there is one old man that you need to see at a particular time and then you’d be like, I didn’t know this was what I signed up for. They even go further to tell you that if I didn’t approve of you, you won’t win. These are things spoiling leadership in Nigeria. We have lots of people in Nigeria who feel entitled. There is no light in the mainstream politics.

What is your advice to aspiring students’ leaders?

My advice to aspiring students’ politicians across all levels, at AFAS, Students’ Union or maybe NANS level, is that it is best you start from your house. Let your house be sure that you are able to deliver before you run outside the house, because when there is a problem, your house should be the one to defend you. Wherever you are, if it is a committee that you can join in your department to prove yourself towards a particular leadership role, do it. All these experiences are not a waste. They shape you for a greater place that you are going to. Nobody wakes up to become a giant all of a sudden, we climb steps gradually. They should not ignore those steps because the moment they do so, they ignore the experience and knowledge that they should have. And it is very important that they get involved in school politics as that would shape them into the mainstream politics. School politics would project them for outside politics.