AFAS Politics: For a Drama-Free and Progressive Session

Olanshile Ogunrinu

As the dawn of a new academic session bathes our campus in the warm hues of possibility, a fervent undercurrent of change surges through the corridor of our students’ political sphere. From the Student Union level, down to the Departments, fresh waves of new leaders have emerged, and in our beloved AFAS, the situation is the same, albeit not without all that precedes their emergence. Nonetheless, we have a transition full of promises and plans, it is against this backdrop that introspection is trite for all stakeholders in the Association of Faculty of Arts Students Association, to prevent the perpetual occurrence of hiccups, and strive to cultivate an improved and harmonious administration enhanced by seamless collaboration between the organs of administration in the association.

The last session, like the previous sessions, was repeatedly characterised by turmoil within the faculty’s political sphere with controversies emanating from several sources. In many cases, these feuds have been driven by personal ambition and a desire for self-promotion, rather than a genuine commitment to the objective of the association, and has led to a loss of focus and productivity, and has hampered the ability of the association to achieve its goals in many areas not limiting to sports, political, social and even academics.


The Past as Prologue: Learning from Experience

As the new session commences, many are curious as to whether the political climate within the faculty will remain tumultuous or will become tranquil. Providing an answer to this is complex and multifaceted. To gain insights into what the future holds for the faculty’s politics this session, it is important we review some of the upheavals that unfolded in the political arena last session as this will provide valuable lessons to improve going forward, because to envision the future, we must first look to the past, and it is said that those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it.

The commotions that unfounded last session were endless: from the call-off party saga which generated so many controversies that led to the President having to defend himself before the University’s authority, to the suspension, reinstatement and eventual impeachment of Prime, the former Sports Director, an event that created factions as certain people believed the erstwhile Sports Director was impeached because they–the members of the executive council–did not like him, to the botched suspension of Mojuba, the former Assistant General Secretary of the association, which led to the suspension of Akoem, the faculty’s President for almost a month, and the brouhaha that accompanied the amendment of the constitution that ultimately led to the disruption of the election which was later held shabbily during the holiday, to the attack on the Press, in various forms, covertly and overtly, by the arms of the association.

It is fundamental to take cognisance of the fact that the students of the Faculty are the ones bearing the brunt of these administrative crises, as these feuds jeopardized and deprived AFASites of meaningful activities and events of the faculty. Hence, AFAS student leaders must make concerted efforts to avoid the pitfalls that culminated in these crises, so as to give AFASites the best experience.

A Vision for Change: A Unified Approach

As we step into the new session, student leaders across the Faculty must be unified by a vision for change, and the core of this vision must centre on forging stronger connections and synchronisation between the arms of the association. Improved and timely communication must be established to ensure that plans and actions are uniform and popularly decided. This approach will foster transparency and accountability as every stakeholder will indeed have a say in the affairs of the association.

As we stand at the threshold of a new session, we cannot but hope that the wind of transformation blows through our Faculty’s political space for a more harmonious and efficient administration. By learning from the experience of the past, and by prioritising communication, collaboration, transparency, and accountability, we can set the stage for progress and development in the association. In unity, we shall overcome the challenges that may arise, steering our Faculty towards an era of hitch-free governance, where the interests of every student are represented and safeguarded. This should be our commitment, and together, we shall usher in a new dawn of student politics excellence.