Exclusive Interview: “I’ve Been Able to Achieve about 95% of My Campaign Promises”— AFAS FLC Speaker, Rt. Hon. Luqman Alagunfon

Ayodele Aduwo

Half into the session, Speaker of the Faculty Legislative Council (FLC), Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS), University of Ibadan, Rt. Hon. Luqman Alagunfon, recounts his achievements, the challenges of his headship tenure, as well as his plans in view for the second semester.

AFAS Press: 2023 witnessed the emergence of a new assembly under your headship as the Speaker. What are the major achievements of the current AFAS FLC Assembly thus far?

Hon. Alagunfon: As the Speaker of the 2022/2023 parliamentary session, we’ve witnessed some achievements. First and foremost, let me highlight the three major functions of a parliamentarian or a legislator: representation, law and decision making, and oversight. So we’ve tried to deliver in these three areas the best. Second, asides those functions and our constitutional duties, personally, I’ve been able to achieve about 95% of my campaign promises, vis-a-vis the welfarism of the honorables in the house, and bringing back unity among the FLC and the Executives. We’ve maintained a tranquil environment with achievement and actions, and we thank God for that. So, basically these are our achievements so far.

AFAS Press: What are some of the challenges experienced?

Hon. Alagunfon: We’ve had challenges, definitely. At a time, we received reports from some constituencies that some honourable members were not giving them feedback from sittings. We were able to manage the issue, we took serious constitutional discipline on the people involved. There is no way we won’t have challenges, it’s normal, it’s part of life.

AFAS Press: How would you rate the level of dutifulness and attendance of honourable members in the current Legislative Council?

Hon. Alagunfon: People have been attending the sittings. We’ve recorded about 24 to 25 average number of people that attend every sitting; because for a meeting to hold, there must be a quorum. We are usually more than two-third of the members of the house in attendance of the sittings, in most cases. The members have been dutiful also, most especially in some important committees of the house; the investigative committee, the audit and finance committee. I am grateful to them for that.

AFAS Press: There were specific issues in the faculty in the just concluded semester, which one would expect that the FLC, being the Association’s Students’ Representative Council, would address. What is the position of AFAS-FLC on sales of journal, sales of GES textbooks?

Hon. Alagunfon: We’re the legislative arm of the Association, we have dos and don’ts. When issues that affect the faculty as a whole or a particular department are brought to the notice of the House, either in the form of a petition or however, the House will usually react to it. I think we once received a report from the department of Arabic and Islamic studies concerning an issue that happened between their football team during the last Seals Cup. I must say that we followed up the matter duly as the FLC and it got resolved to a reasonable point. Another one of such is when we received a report, although in verbal form, from European Studies, concerning the fact that they were not given their reward at the Dean’s Cup, I instructed that they put their complaint in written form and the House will look into it.

So, any issue that comes up and is brought to the House in whatever form, we take a look at it and provide a proper solution to it.

On the issue of sales of journals and GES textbooks, the causes can be traced back to the economic situation of the country. And I think the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the journals vary from department to department. For my own department, the H.O.D made it clear to us that purchase of the journals are mandatory for all of us. He gave various reasons for it such as how it will help our intellectual capacity as students and upcoming researchers; he also informed us that the journals are principal to the development of the departments, because the majority of departments are short of funds; so I think it is basically because of the economical situation. We can only plead and can only appeal to the management involved to help us take a look into the situation.

AFAS Press: There was a congress by the Association held in the first semester. As regards its conduct to its resolutions, what is the position of the AFAS-FLC?

Hon. Alagunfon: First, I would like to commend the effort of the Executive Council, they followed the due process before the congress was held. But it later got to an extent of it becoming a student management meeting on that day, that was the faulty part. But after that, the Congress kicked off properly. I believe some issues were discussed and resolutions also reached. The faculty President gave us assurance that those resolutions will be worked upon. So we still await, and I hope the Executive Council is working on the resolutions of the congress.

AFAS Press: Unlike the rift that characterised the past FLC Assembly and the AFAS Executive Council, what is the relationship between the current AFAS-FLC and the Executive Council about?

Hon. Alagunfon: The relationship between the current AFAS FLC and the Executive council has been cordial. So far we’ve been running an AFAS of ‘myself, you and I’. We’ve maintained a solid and good relationship mostly. We maintain healthy communication, we revise and review our decisions. We’ve been doing fine and operating in a peaceful environment, with actions.

AFAS Press: Second semester is here. What are the specific plans from the AFAS-FLC towards the association’s election?

Hon. Alagunfon: Towards the Association’s election, I think, communication is the key. The house will do the necessary things as stated in the constitution, and with support and collaboration from the AFAS Executive Council.

AFAS Press: Concerning the Association’s constitution, what is the state of things?

Hon. Alagunfon: As things stand right now, the two constitutions are still with the legal unit of the Students’ Affairs, and we await their approval. But till then, we are sticking to the status quo, and we’re doing fine.

AFAS Press: The constitution provides that the financial statement of the Association is to be made known before and at the end of each semester. Is there a reason the House hasn’t taken a position against the Financial Secretary who has not acted in accordance with the constitution?

Hon. Alagunfon: The house has requested the statement from the financial secretary, but he made it clear to the house that there are a lot of issues with the bank presently—the bank account of the association has some technical problems which I can testify to, so it is the major cause of delay of the statement. But by second semester, it should be fixed.

AFAS Press: What are the major committees of the Legislative Council and how would you rate their contribution to the House?

Hon. Alagunfon: The major committees of the Legislative council are the Audit and Finance Committee, the Investigative Committee, and the Welfare Committee. These three committees have been doing well, all other committees have been doing well too, these other ones include Public and Petition Committee, Media and Publicity Committee. They have been providing necessary reports and recommendations towards the success of the Association. It has been a nice time working with them so far. They’ve made the work of the FLC easier because we direct issues to be discussed on the floor of the House to different committees within stipulated time. Even during the exam, they still managed to be dutiful.

AFAS Press: As the Association proceeds into the second semester, what are activities the FLC is looking forward to?

Hon. Alagunfon: The major activities that the FLC is looking forward to is our legislative summit. We look forward to making it a memorable one, so also to sustain the legacy of our past leaders from the FL, and also to equip both the current and upcoming honorable members.