Ending AFAS Checkered History of Executive Feud

Olanshile Ogunrinu

The Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS) has a checkered history marked by frequent conflicts among its executive members. The recent past session was marred by a lot of internal conflicts among the executive members. The current session is no different, as the rift between the executive led to the eventual impeachment of the embattled Sports Director. The executive feuds in AFAS have often been characterized by similar issues of power, influence, and control. In many cases, the feuds have been driven by personal ambition and a desire for self-promotion, rather than a genuine commitment to the objectives of the association and this has led to a loss of focus and productivity and has hampered the ability of the association to achieve its goals, especially in term of social activities as evident during the last session and sports, as evident in this session.

The recent history of AFAS has been marked by a series of executive feuds that have left students in the faculty frustrated and disillusioned, as these feuds jeopardize their extracurricular activities. The dinner night of the association’s last session was laden with complaints from Afasites over the irregularities that marred the event due to lack of synchronization between the Vice President, the Social Director, Financial Secretary and President. Also The Super 4 competition was postponed about four times before being eventually played due to the rift between the Sports director and other members of the executive council.

There is a popular saying that goes, “Where two elephant fights, it is the grass that suffers.” This saying is an apt description of the situation in the Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS), where the constant feud among the executive members is jeopardizing and depriving Afasites of meaningful activities and events. Students are left to bear the brunt of this internal executive strife, which ultimately affects their overall academic and social experience in the faculty of arts.

Executive feuds are not unique to the Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS). In fact, it is a phenomenon that has been witnessed in various governments and organizations around the world. In all parts of the world, executive feuds have been known to greatly affect and derail the objectives of any organization.

The feud between President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence in the United States started after Pence refused to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election, which Trump had claimed was rigged. The feud led to a breakdown of trust and communication between the two leaders and contributed to Trump’s eventual defeat.

In Nigeria, the feud between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice President Atiku Abubakar was a major issue during Obasanjo’s second term in office. The feud was over control of the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and it eventually led to Atiku’s defection to another party.

In the United Kingdom, the feud between former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is another example of an executive feud. The feud started during their time in office and was over issues of policy and control. It eventually led to Brown’s resignation as Prime Minister.

These conflicts have often led to a breakdown of governance and lack of progress, therefore, Afasites must all join hands in ensuring that the executive members put their differences aside and work towards a more united and productive association, where the interests of the students are prioritized above personal ambitions and agenda. To break the cycle of executive feuds in AFAS, it is essential that we adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach that addresses the root causes of the problem. This includes ensuring that we elect only those who have shown commitment to teamwork, and are ready to work hand in hand to achieve the common goal of Afasites. This is primary and of utmost importance, because working alone is one of the major causes of these feuds; all members of the executive council must carry others along when making decisions on issues concerning the association.

Also, the constitutional roles and responsibilities of each officer of the association must be well spelt to avoid usurpation of a role which is another reason why executive feud is prevalent in the faculty. Members of the executive council must be aware of their role and must not encroach on the duties of others except through mutual agreement. Accountability and transparency must also be ensured in stopping this trend, issues concerning the executives which by extension concerning the faculty, must be made open to Afasites so that they can be a nip in the bud in time. The secrecy that shrouded the case of the Sports Director at the earlier stage is one of the reasons why the rift went this far.

The FLC should also take a more proactive position in addressing these rifts. The council must monitor the activities of the executive members and curtail efforts by some members of the executive to use power wrongfully because there are parties that believed that the sports director was impeached because the executive president just “want to show” power and that the FLC is not fair in their intervention to the rift.

Feuds among the executive council are inimical to the growth of our association, hence, all hands must be on deck to ensure that we promote unity and cooperation among our student leaders.