The ERC, in a recent press statement, lent their voice to the demand of the Hall Executive Councils(HEC) of the eight halls of residence in OAU to their constitutionally-guaranteed share of the budget. Section 41(3) of the Great Ife Students’ Union Constitution gives the halls of residence the right to “at least fifteen percent of the CEC budget”. This would amount to #930,000 out of #6.2 million, the total amount released to the Ibikunle-led SUG by the DSA and the bank balance left by the previous administration.
It should be remembered that the SRC in her sitting on the 12th of this month, passed a resolution that the said monies be released within 72 hours.That deadline expired on the 15th of January.
The Ibikunle-led CEC did not release the funds, because the funds had been spent on special projects, as they claimed. The ERC described this argument as “inane and fraudulent”. The ERC saw this as usurping the responsibility of the university management, which had functional departments, like the popular Maintenence Unit, vested with these responsibilities. In the statement, the ERC said:
A pro-student, vibrant students’ union is expected to call for appropriate spending of university resources; instead of covering for the failures of the university management.
The ERC described the inspiration for the CEC’s action as ‘self-serving’, with consequences like ‘Inflation of actual cost of projects, kickbacks and outright looting”. The two link bridges between Faj and Awo, and Faj and Sports, were cited.
The statement criticised the SUG for its focus on money-related issues, rather than student welfare and called on the Great Ife students to join the campaign for financial transparency. The HECs were themselves not spared as they were described as ‘selfish’, for limiting their demands to subvention instead of supporting the call for a Congressional probe of the Student Union finances.
The ERC, in the press statement, described the argument that the Budget & Finance Committee of the SRC be saddled with this responsibility as “mischievious and criminally-inclined”. This was because the B&F Committee, and the SRC as a whole, were instrumental in the ratification of the budget without input from the gallerians.
In conclusion, the ERC reiterated her support to the move to restore vibrant students’ union, and called for greater student involvement.
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