OPEN LETTER TO THE SENATE PRESIDENT ,STUDENTS UNION SENATE COUNCIL,UNILORIN

UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN STUDENT'S UNION SENATE COUNCIL, ILORIN.

Faculty of Comm. & Info. Sciences,
University of Ilorin,
Ilorin, Nigeria.
9th of May, 2016.

The Senate President,
The Student Union Senate Council,
Kaduna Nzeogwu Building,
University of Ilorin,
Ilorin, Nigeria.

Dear Mr. Senate President,

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SENATE PRESIDENT, STUDENTS' UNION SENATE COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN.

On the 18th of April, 2016; the Students' Union President received an open letter from me, wherein I was asking some questions and at a point I was seeking for the President attention to seek your indulgence in answering question number two of my open letter. Mr. Senate President, I am only bringing this to your notice because I am oblivious of the fact that immediately the President receive my letter, what he did was to bring out his pen and he started crucifying my open letter by underlining the flaws in it, I will like to Inform you sir that am a Nigerian and Ijebu is my mother tongue and surely no one is infalliable, I will be very grateful if you don't treat this pen pal with such attitude, I have made my research and I have been convinced that you would not act in such a way sir. Mr. Senate President you and I know that the President till this present moment have not answered any of my question nor seek your indulgence as regards question number two of my open letter and at the same time I don't think I have to remind you of the reaction of the office of the President towards my letter. Before I herald sir, I will like to inform you that I am a peace loving Nigerian, Ogunnian and Unilorite at large. I believe, within the jurisdiction of the University rules and regulation I have every right to express myself objectively. Mr. Senate President If I am wrong as regards this, please be my coach.

Mr. Senate President Sir, I won't like to bore you with much tales as I will be hammering the nail on its head. I will be using this euphoria to seek your objective demonstration as regards some portion of the constitution. According to Article 12A item 5 of the constitution, "The Senate President shall be the chief interpreter of the constitution".  Mr. Senate President, I will be questioning the viability of the constitution as regards the following portion of the Constitution relating to electioneering process:

Part II of the Electoral Act, item 10 (II) C – "The members shall be any matriculated students who have spent at least (2) academic sessions"

Part  VI of the Electoral Act, item 24 (b) –  States that a person shall be eligible to contest for the office of the President  of the Student's union if "He must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions"

Part  VI of the Electoral Act, item 25 (b) –  States that a person shall be eligible to contest for the office of the Vice-President (Permanent Site)  of the Student's union if "She must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions"

Part  VI of the Electoral Act, item 26 (b) –  States that a person shall be eligible to contest for the office of the Vice-President (College of Health Sciences)  of the Student's union if "She must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions"

Part  VI of the Electoral Act, item 27 (b) –  States that a person shall be eligible to contest for the office of the General Secretary and Financial Secretary of the Student's union if "He/She must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions"

Mr. Senate President, you will agree with me that after the emergence of man coupled with its dynamism in all ramifications, the rule of law came into lime light, which is the code of conduct of every man. In order to establish a peaceful and harmonious environment by all living man as being spelt out by the constitution, the rule of law is of great importance. Mr. Senate President you will agree with me  that for a constitution not to have devoid itself of the bone of contention – the rule of law, then it must possess Equity, Fairness, Justice and Consistency.

Mr. Senate President Sir, you will agree with me that any constitution that lacks Equity, Fairness, Justice and Consistency, lacks integrity, veracity and reliability and should be subjected to reviewing. The current constitution of the Student Union in my opinion is not only been raped of its benefit of equity and fairness but also stand as an unjust tool; thereby making it inconsistence for it serves only the interest of some, while stamping on the rights of others. This we believe should be look into urgently and appropriate solution be made as the custodian of the constitution.
Mr. Senate President Sir, as the Custodian of the constitution, I will like to bring to your notice some critical analysis that will show you a clear picture of the disparity, inequality and discrepancy of our dear constitution. That analysis goes thus:

#History has it that Mr. Alao Idris (Observation), Our able, amiable and indefatigable President contested for the post of President while he was in 300 level, he was a student of faculty of Law – a faculty having all its courses as 5 years course. He contested and he indeed lost then. Being a buharist he came back while he was in 400 level running for the same post and God willing he was giving the mandate. Mr. Senate President If Mr. Alao had the mandate while he contested for the first time, Would he have been giving the opportunity to contest for the second time at all? Secondly, in my own opinion if the constitution gives you the room to be in governance for just a single term throughout your stay in the University regardless of the number of years of your course of study. Lets us assume Mr. Alao was giving the mandate while he was in 300 level, you will agree with me sir, that he would have handed over the government to another person and he will still be a member of the congress, then logically he would be a political threat to the incumbent President as all his moves will be like a game of chess to Mr. Alao. Mr. Senate President, I will be very grateful if you can convince me that at this juncture the constitution is not bias. I am finding it difficult to comprehend a constitution that can empower the minority of five years course of study over a majority four years course of study. I am sure we are paying the same school fee, and then it is illogical if we are not giving the same privilege by the constitution.

#Mr. Senate President Sir, In Law, there are three canon of interpretation: The Literal, The Golden and The Mischief rule of Interpretation. Before I proceed, I will like to inform you that the constitution as disenfranchised all students studying a four years course who have secured the University admission via Direct Entry. Mr. Senate President Sir, I will see it as an act of disrespect if I am to go into detail as to what this three canons are, I am sure as the Chief interpreter of the constitution you are more than capable as to what this canons connotes. Mr. Senate President Sir, you will agree with me that making reference to this three canons, to infer the portion of the constitution that says "He/She must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions" will be defamatory if we are to use the literal rule of Interpretation. Mr. Senate President Sir, you will agree with me that to maintain equity, fairness, justice and consistency, the Golden rule of interpretation should be inferred as far as this portion of the constitution is concerned.

Mr. Senate President Sir, at this juncture, to bridge this lacuna as analyzed above, I will be proposing a bill which goes thus:

MY PROPOSED BILL

Mr. Senate President Sir, having being able to tender tenable reasons, by virtue of Rule 17 of the Standing Order of the Senate Council of the Students' Union with a bid to uphold justice, fairness and equity, I am using this euphoria to propose to the ever dogged and ever rugged legislative arm, the Senate Council of the Students' Union, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria a new bill that will not only uphold the rights of some member but the entirety of all the students of this great citadel of learning. To replace the portion of the constitution which says: "He/She must have spent at least (2) complete academic sessions".  At this moment in time, I hereby propose that ''rather than specifying the number of semester that must have been used, the section should rather specify that for such positions the contestant should be a penultimate final year students '' that is a 300level students of a four years course and 400level students of a five years course. This will not only spelt out equity, fairness, justice and constancy of our dear constitution but also portray this senate council as a student sloping one, and one that is always at its feet in representing the interest of its member.

Mr. Senate President Sir, I will be grateful if this few words of mine can be passed across to all distinguished senators of the Senate Council of the Students' Union, University of Ilorin, Ilorin: Distinguished Senators, the school is a micro reflection of the larger society and you will agree with me that your present status as a legislator of the Senate Council of the Students' Union, University of Ilorin, Ilorin is a micro reflection of the nation's legislative arm. If we can start measuring the level of sanity in us as this present moment surely in the nearest future the nation's legislative arm will have no match, also if we fail as intellectuals the society will die. You all must not think twice in moment like this but rather prove to us that you are worth been sent to the floor of the house. Let the unschooled man not say thank God I didn't go to school. We must talk, write and stood firmly on been an objective intellectuals. Let history remember you for all for equity, justice and fairness.

Long live The Student's Union,
Long Live University of Ilorin,
Long Live Kwara,
Long Live Nigeria.

From a concerned and observing Unilorite, I remain humble and I will never fumble.

Akeukanwo Sulaiman Abiodun Al-Qalam (The-Pen)
300 level, Department of Computer Science,
Faculty of Communication and Information Science,
University of Ilorin