The Notoriety of AFAS Politicians and Personal Profiteering

Political offices, particularly in Nigeria, come with responsibilities or roles attached to them and also, certain benefits that serve as perks for the office holders. This is to say that holding a political post or serving in a political capacity could mean having easier access to things like accomodation, (choice) vehicles, and even domestic workers. Consequently, the political influence of such office could elevate the holder and provide them a platform that is oftentimes used selfishly to promote or aid their personal businesses— a pattern that is common among Nigerian politicians.

Ideally, tertiary institutions are expected to be communities that keep aflame the hope for a better adjustment of the state of things, particularly politically, through young people who are bred to make positive impacts in the real world. The partial manifestation of this is the student political activities that take place on Nigerian campuses, such that these activities are known to even be the foundation of the political careers of some Nigerian politicians. However, it is disheartening that the tools that should put to effect positive actions and changes among student politicians in a lot of institutions across the country are in a rusted state.

In the last tenure of AFAS leadership, the culture of using students’ contacts and groups for personal business gains began to develop amongst the executives. The first move was initiated by the former Vice President, Olajumoke Olorunfemi, who combined all the AFAS groups and made them a WhatsApp community under the brand name of her personal business/enterprise. This action was motivated by the prospects of personal financial gains, which was wrong and should not even be the priority of her office, even if the majority of the electorate were silent on the matter. It does not matter if she did such with the consent or permission of anyone or not; it is in the position of absolutely no one, for preservation, orderliness and respect/regards for the general public, to mix up personal engagements, especially business, with political offices and activities.

Another office that violated this ethics was that of the President, Emmanuel Akinyoola. The president, in his own case, went as far as using his political office to publicize his personal brand as an event organiser and eventually, an electronic gadget store owner. One of the first parties the president organised while in office was themed, “Call-Off Party”. This particular event raised so much dust for quite a long time that it attracted the attention of the Dean of the Students Affairs, and the administration here in the faculty. The party was first broadcast with the AFAS Emblem, which connotes it was an AFAS party, which would normally and without much difficulty, being a party organized by the ‘premier faculty in the University of Ibadan’, would attract significantly serious sponsors. Then shortly afterwards, when the issue of the ticketing and the funds generated from the party came up, the president made it known, that it was not an AFAS party, but his own personal event, for which he had already secured a venue from the faculty management, in the name of AFAS and most likely had got sponsors too, in the name of AFAS. Although this is like water under the bridge that has flowed by, the bridge still stands.

Now, the latest in the line of this trend is the recent moves of the past PRO. This time around, the past PRO, Oluwaseun Oluseye, popularly known as Active Don, took it quite a step further, which is actually the biggest leap seen yet. At the beginning of his tenure, the former Public Relations Officer, in order to execute his duties more effectively and efficiently, went ahead to create a WhatsApp TV, which was named AFAS TV. AFAS TV literally became a success from the instant, as the TV handler announced via AFAS TV, in less than three weeks, how over 700 contacts had been onboarded, and how the views rate was over a hundred within minutes “aside ghost viewers”, and since then, the numbers have swelled.

At the end of his tenure, an announcement was released on AFAS TV’s status, informing the general public, the viewers in this case, that the TV would henceforth be known as “Campus Station TV”. While one may change their TV name on WhatsApp, there are a lot of viewers who still know and have it saved with the initial label, and are already acclimatized to it, especially because it being an AFAS TV is the reason they became converted as viewers in the first place. Now, when an AFASite reaches out to the TV, thinking of it as an AFAS facility, the handler corrects them in this manner, “this is not AFAS TV”, and on further enquiry, he tells you to “check the dp”.

If asked why the TV has not yet been handed over to the next handler, that is, the current PRO, Omotosho Temitayo, as a property of AFAS, the former PRO would likely respond with the claim that the phone number being used for the platform is registered with his name, contact, and personal details. This raises questions, was he oblivious to this fact in the first place? What was his initial intention while creating the TV and including it in his manifesto?

If these behaviors are allowed to continue manifesting, it only makes one wonder what the next will be, and also raises concern on how soon they (student politicians/leaders) will begin laying outright claims to facilities installed in the faculty and in the AFAS secretariat during their tenure, proving why they have to go with it. It is therefore imperative that these excesses be seriously looked into by the Faculty Legislative Council (FLC), and all other necessary authorities before this juvenile serpent becomes an old dragon.