GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?
For the past few days now, there are two things that have mostly
preoccupied my mind: my 4th MBBS exam which I'm working so tirelessly
hard to concentrate on and my most esteemed well-wishers out there in
UNEC that cut across both staff and students and whom I sometimes
wonder how they even manage to sleep these days in the face of all the
controversies making the rounds on campus. Some doubtless would be
asking: could Ekene-Finally really have done those things? The answer
is NO! Yet I know that there are many of you out there with a certain
type of unwavering belief in me that you are willing to suffer any
level of social persecution so long as the fact is effectively driven
home that I can never be the kind of person my political foes are
painting me to be. But to all of you out there reading this, I'm most
delighted to inform you that there was never any mistake in having
reposed such high level of confidence in me that you gave me a
record-breaking 2,198 of your coveted votes in order to make me your
president. I want to say thank you and to reassure you that I'm still
who you've always known me to be – and perhaps much better.
Before I start addressing some burning issues, permit me to officially
welcome you the returning lions and lionesses back to the den. And to
our new students I want to say congratulations and to ask that you
accept my unreserved apology for having to bamboozle you with an
atmosphere of controversy at a period in your life when your wish
would have been that we in the SUG join you to celebrate your
remarkable victory in the last post-UME examinations that has now
awarded you the much coveted honour of joining in the struggle 'To
Restore The Dignity Of Man'. Then to our prestigious 'Cross-Over'
students, I cannot hide my joy that you all made it to the land of
UNEC.
I would equally want to dedicated a full paragraph to our own Daddy,
the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. B. C.
Ozumba and all members of his divine team among whom are the
indefatigable duo of the DVC, Prof. Mrs Ifeoma Enemo and the Associate
Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Mrs Edith Nwosu. I'm sure you would
always expect me to acknowledge the VC like I've always done. But come
to think of it: who wouldn't when we all can see a true father, a
tireless worker who has within this very short period of time in
office produced a level of performance that the poorest way to
describing it would be to say: "SIMPLY DAZZLING". And I blame that on
my not very rich vocabulary. It's difficult to reconcile with the
reality that within a few months in office, the VC has in his uncommon
magnanimity slashed down our school fees by a whopping six thousand
naira. Where has it ever happened in any Nigerian University? Yet the
quality of education in our school has immensely improved. Space would
not allow me to talk about the Ozumbic wind of transformation blowing
across our school in the areas of health, infrastructure, roads,
electricity, and even efforts geared towards dramatically improving
the welfare of both staff and students of this University. We can all
see the flurry of activities by the Works Department in laying down
brand-new networks of pipes to enhance adequate provision of free
potable water to all hostels and quarters. I make bold to say that
Prof B. C. Ozumba is the much-awaited messiah God has sent to wipe our
tears away. Sometimes I even wish I was in first year and not final
year. May God continue to bless and strengthen him and his lovely
family.
Now having done that, I'd move straight to addressing the recent
issues cropping up on campus that borders largely on my credibility as
a leader: THE MANY SINS THEY CLAIM I HAD COMMITTED. Some aggrieved
members of the Executive Council were purported to have passed a vote
of no confidence on me and played right into the waiting hands of the
Speaker of the SUG House and his cohorts who wasted no time in
delivering a verdict that is bound to go down in the annals of
legislative history as the most shameful performance of all time. The
Speaker whom many have always been very critical of for his hatred for
me and a concomitant penchant for my office as the president was of
course able to shanghai some Honourable members of the House, majority
of whom are greenhorns in legislative affairs, into unconstitutionally
declaring me removed from office on account of some unverified
allegation against me without recourse to inviting me to the House in
order to defend myself. More like Jungle Justice! For the fact that it
took them just one House-sitting to try to unseat me makes it even
more laughable. Now neither me nor the Council Of SUG Presidents in
Enugu would fold our hands and accept such absurdity in our present
generation. If we do, then posterity would never forgive us as we
would have set a precedent for abuse of legislative power.
To start with, I'm yet to receive any official letter of removal from
office up till today. The said document on vote of no confidence by
some Executive officers is still to reach my office. That
notwithstanding, I do know that I owe the good students of UNEC an
explanation as to the malicious allegations leveled against me. These
allegations you please must know are last-ditch attempts at soiling my
enviable reputation that has taken me years of hard-work in the fight
for the oppressed to build. I personally would have loved to honour
you all with my physical presence in your hostels to clear the air
with respect to those lies and half-truths being peddled by few
elements that are against the growth of our Unionism. However, going
by the advice I got from the Associate Dean of Students Affairs as
regards the idea, I honestly think it would not be prudent to come now
to avoid crisis as you may be shocked at the frightening and
disturbing revelations that I would have made concerning my travails
in the hands of the Speaker, his cohort and the conduct of some
Executive officers of the Union. But I assure you that after my exams
I am going to come and mingle with you once again because if there is
one thing that has caused a certain level of depression in, it is the
fact that I have missed you guys so very much especially during the
break.
Before I continue, I want to refresh your memory on the names of some
of the Executive officers of the Union that you voted for earlier this
year in no particular order of importance. They are: Incumbent SUG
President – EZE EKENE, VP – EZENWEKWE VIVIAN, SEC GEN – AGBO
JONHFRIDAY, ASSISTANT SEC GEN – UZOIGWE EKENE, FINANCIAL SECRETARY –
AWE PROMISE, WELFARE OFFICER – EZECHI-IKO NNANA, PRO – ILOGEBE CHIDI,
DIRECTOR OF GAMES – OBOT UBON-ABASI, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORT – OMOCHO
PETER, DIRECTOR OF SOCIALS – SECO SOCHIMA, and TREASURER – EMENIKE
CHIMEZIE. Apart from the FIN SEC, ASG, and the TREASURER, the rest of
them participated in drafting the vote of no confidence document with
their signatures duly appended which was later forwarded to the House
by Mr Speaker's cohort and classmates in persons of the SEC GEN and
the PRO. However, recent combined lamentations coming from the offices
of the DOG and DOT are beginning to give us the arguable impression
that after a certain illegal emergency EXCO meeting held on the 21st
of November 2014 as desperately arranged by the SEC GEN, it is quite
probable that some of this officers signed the document ignorant of
its content and implication, or they are trying to play a fast one on
the watching audience? They called to tell me that they never signed
any letter of vote of no confidence even as they affirmed that they
were both flabbergasted to see their signatures on notice board in a
letter probably captioned: vote of no confidence on Mr President.
The ASG confided in me (forgive me Mr ASG) that he had deliberately
avoided coming for the meeting despite relentless pressure from the
SEC GEN knowing full well their plots against me. For the FIN SEC,
they've always known that one to be as impenetrable as a rock; so
neither the PRO nor the SEC GEN bothered to approach him. As for Mr
Treasurer who was yet to be called back from a long period of
suspension for having forged my signature in the bank to withdraw
money for some officers (possibly with no ill-intention though), I
cannot say if he would have signed or not. But having learned a bitter
lesson by carrying out a criminal with good intention – an idea that
was first suggested by the PRO in the first place from what I gathered
from Mr Treasurer and the SEC GEN those days – then my best bet is
that he would not as that may be yet another set-up. The story went
that during the UBA saga, with the mindset that I may not survive it,
an emergency EXCO meeting was arranged by the same SEC GEN to
determine whether the next line of action to take. That was when the
Treasurer and the VP suggested they immediately pass a vote of
confidence on me before things would get out of hand. But I learned
that the idea was later jettisoned by the same VP who foresaw that
getting me removed from office would automatically put the withdrawals
of our take-off grants on hold. That was when the PRO (the only
officer who never came to visit me throughout the UBA saga) proposed
the idea of forging my easy-to-practise signature. There was moment of
silence as everyone cast a look of surprise at the originator of the
idea. Only God knew what went through each officer mind. But it was
the Treasurer who first put it to practice. This was around July this
year. The SEC GEN divulged the details to me at the end of the
aforementioned saga unknown to him that I knew the even worse things
he did during the same period: his betrayal. I played along.
It was the SEC GEN that told me that an officer had forged my
signature while I was away: the Treasurer. His sinister advice was
that I should write officially to the bank and by extension the police
and get this guy JAILED. Then the SEC GEN and the Mr Treasurer were
always at each other's throat. Thank God I rejected the advice. He was
disappointed. But I later did go to the bank to verify anyway. That
happened to be the best decision of my life. When I called the
Treasurer to ask whether he did or not, he was fumbling but with no
sign of remorse. I decided to write the SUG House concerning the
development. By then there was already a petition on floor of the
House against me and the VP by the SEC GEN. When the power-hungry
Speaker saw my petition against the Treasurer, he in company of the
SEC GEN (his next door neighbor), the PRO (his classmate), and the
Welfare officer (his course mate) went and ill-advised Mr Treasurer to
fabricate a petition against me bordering on some fictitious money
that I misappropriated. The ultimate plan was for the House to
unconstitutionally suspend both the VP and I in order for the Speaker
to become Acting President for reasons you shall soon find out.
Now my reactions to the spurious allegations:
1. MY 4-MONTH FAILURE TO CALL FOR AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING:
To address this issue, I'd like to ask the returning students this one
question: Recall the day I took the VP round all the hostels
accompanied by all members of the executive council; begging that she
should be forgiven her arrogance and disloyalty to the students that
gave her power. From that day to when most departments started writing
their exams, was it even up to a week? Please check your diary. Or
should all of us have met officially during the break? Around the same
period, we had already met as an EXCO in a certain meeting tagged
'UNITY MEETING' where we had the opportunity to mend some frosty
relationships existing within the EXCO. Earlier that day we had played
our UNITY football match with the help of the DOG at IJ Airport to the
delight of the ladies in both Ibiam and Manua hostels who were all
watching enthusiastically from their windows. Later on we all went to
Jennifer to have cold soft drinks and hot pepper-soup which I had
already directed the Welfare officer to arrange. In that same meeting
I gave every officer an opportunity to make bare their different plans
for the Union and equally enjoined them to submit their budgets as
soon as possible.
Talking about the regularity of our meetings, it's still very vivid in
my memory how some of the officers - especially the VP - kicked
against my frequently calling for meetings during the early days of
this administration. Then she would hurl insults at me, walk out on us
anytime she manages to come, and even incites other officers against
me. Hence, you have a situation whereby if you call for a meeting,
only about 5 and when they are on a very good mood up to 6 or seven
might turn up. Some would even claim they are not in Enugu on the day
of the meeting. And those that would eventually come would be showing
lackadaisical attitudes towards the meeting: chewing of gums, making
and answering of calls, pinging and browsing, unprovoked tantrums,
name them. And these could be happening all at the same time with
different officers taking turns to display their own. But like I said,
that of the VP was the worst, followed closely by that of Welfare
officer - and who of course was following the footstep of the VP. The
VP once threatened that she would use her connection to frustrate us
by blocking all the letters we shall be sending out to source for
fund. Reason? She claimed the SEC GEN did not add 'Comrade' to the
'Her Excellency' that was already ascribe to her on the SUG
letterhead. She wanted it to go this way: 'HER EXCELLENCY COMRADE
EZENWEKWE VIVIAN'. You can imagine what her anger and tantrums at
everybody especially the SEC GEN were all about. Things came to head
that we had to take the matter to the the then Dean for expert advice.
I even had to ask the Chief Judge to draft a document on CODE OF
CONDUCT for us. We never complied with it! But due to all these, we
reduced the frequency of our meetings from twice a week to twice every
fortnight or as circumstances may demand.
2. REFUSAL TO PREPARE UNION'S BUDGET:
Disregard such information as it can never be true. When we started,
we had deemed it necessary to first apply for our take-off grant from
the immediate past VC before we begin preparing the Union's budget.
That was the initial plan but for some inexplicable reasons the letter
for the 4 million naira requested for never got to the table of the VC
whom I know would have immediately approved some amount for UNEC SUG.
But the letter got stuck somewhere and we didn't know. Days turned
into weeks, weeks turned into months, yet there was no news from
Nsukka. The SEC GEN and I were always shuttling to and fro Nsukka
every now and then to trace the letter and possibly take it to the VC
ourselves. Some principal persons within the Union claimed to have a
hand in the poor attention given to our letter because their own share
in the take-off grant wasn't as big as they would want. Fortunately
and after many months, the letter finally got to the VC. And just as I
anticipated, he attended to it immediately and 2 million was approved.
This happened close to when he was already rounding up as VC. Then a
different problem developed altogether. The Bursary department then
announced to us that there wasn't any fund available for us here in
UNEC as at that time. Nobody was happy. The Council of Hall Governors
was aversed to lending us money claiming they had their own pressing
and capital-intensive projects to execute. They were even at
loggerheads with their chairman citing financial impropriety on his
part. So that was a no go area. Many of my officers lost hope. The
ginger to work was no longer there despite my repeated assurances and
encouragements. In fact, attitude towards meetings further
deteriorated. We didn't even have enough money to go on courtesy
visits to source for fund. Those who claimed to have connections never
used their connections to help the Union. It was our current VC
through the help of our DVC that eventually came to our rescue asking
those at the Bursary in Nsukka to look for money anywhere to help us.
To our relief, 1.5 million naira was later released. May God bless
him.
It was even during the period of disbursing the funds that the UBA
saga started unfortunately. But God took care of the situation. Now
despite the fact that we were yet to collect the remaining 500,000
naira, we still had hope that we could still draft the Union's Budget
and the VC would approve it. Just when we started planning it, the
Speaker and his foot soldiers plotted my suspension. That drew the
Union further steps backward. When I came back I started calling for
the submission of budgets.
Based on the provision of the constitution, there shall be a budget
committee comprising the President of the Union as the Chairman, the
FIN SEC as the Secretary and all the executive officer as members. We
are to prepare the Union's budget for the Executive, Legislature, and
the Judiciary. Submissions are made to the committee through its
Secretary. The preliminary phase is concluded when the Chairman and
the Secretary collate and reasonably modify outrageously high budgets.
The second phase sees the collated budgets thoroughly discussed by the
Committee as a whole as they make further corrections. The third phase
is complete when the House of Reps finally ratifies the budget as
submitted and defended by the Chairman and the Secretary. The Chief
Judge's budget was the first to come to our table. About 4.5 million
naira or so. He even called it a pre-budget. We rejected it and asked
that His Lordship submits something more realistic. In the end, I
think he made slight modifications and renamed it as the Judicial
Budget. That was much better. But for some unknown reason the
executive officers didn't submit theirs on time even after the said
UNITY meeting that saw us discuss about our individual projects and
plans for the union. And when they started sending it in, the sheer
total was unimaginably prodigious. VP's budget was above 4 million,
DOS about 3 million, PRO between 2 and 3 million. DOT 8 million, SEC
GEN approximately 1 million. The Senate demanded about 4.7 million.
The sheer amount revolving around 20 million naira and most especially
the fact that some officers were yet to submit theirs really slowed
phase 1 down. The last submission was even made barely 3 weeks ago.
Worst still, the Secretary was yet to see the Welfare officer's budget
even up till today. Rumor has it that he sidetracked the budget
committee to submit directly to the House due to its large size. The
Speaker to probably spite me accepted the budget which was an act in
gross contravention of the law. When I and the Committee's Secretary
eventually called EXCO officials for the budget meeting to be held on
the 23rd of November 2014 and with a 48-hours' notice, only the ASG,
FIN SEC and the DOG turned up. Then the news filtered through the air
that night that I was going to be removed from office the next day by
the House on account of a certain vote of no confidence passed by
members of the executive. The rest is history. But in summary, those
holding me responsible for not passing the Union's budget are not been
honest with themselves. Even our counterparts in Nsukka had their own
of 13 million rejected. Non of the two unions have submitted fresh
budgets. And contrary to the report that the VC approved a costa bus
for our UNN counterparts through their budget, please there is no
credibility in that story even as I know that there is absolutely no
way the VC would get them a bus and would not get us our own which we
had already requested when we had a meeting with him earlier when he
assumed office and had invited the both SUGs. That's about that.
Please read on.
3. INABILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR N68,000 NANS MONEY.
That is again not true. The National Association of Nigerian Students
(NANS) was to have their convention in Asaba, Delta State to elect a
new President and other officials of NANS. In NANS, Union presidents
are referred to as senators. And in the Association, only the senators
have the right to vote. Yet, when the convention came calling I
thought it would be wise to go along with some principal officers of
the Union for them to get the necessary exposure. I decided I would go
with 10 persons. I applied for fund, about 400,000 naira. The mistake
was that I allowed the SEC GEN (a next door neighbor and course mate
to Mr Speaker) to sign the letter with me instead of FIN SEC. I was
to go with some Principal Officers of the Union including the Chief
Judge, the Speaker, and at least 6 others. When the Speaker was
secretly informed by his good neighbor that money would soon come, it
was then that my suspension and that of the VP was fast-tracked. The
political calculation there by him and his cohort was that if they can
get both the president and VP temporarily suspended, the Speaker
automatically becomes the President. Please note that Mr Treasurer
never had any intention of fabricating those petitions against me, but
the trio of the Speaker, the PRO, and the Welfare officer as I later
gathered from reliable sources including the Treasurer himself, were
the individuals that goaded him into writing his own petitions against
me as a form of retaliation that I had already submitted mine against
him for forging my signature at the bank. Mr Treasurer reluctantly
obliged. Mine was submitted a week or two prior to his own but all
three petitions (including that against the VP by the SEC GEN) were
considered together by the House. What baffled me most was that the
SEC GEN had even indicted me in his petition to the House and not just
madam VP. Agbo used to be my best friend. But he betrayed me during
the UBA saga. I don't know whether to blame it on sheer wickedness or
a way of saving only his head, he was being equivocal in his
testimonies about me during the UBA saga complicating things in the
process. Now back to the main story. The three of us (me, the VP, and
the Treasurer) eventually got suspended without following due process
which would have been that the Speaker mandates a committee in the
House called Petition and Privileges who would have first ascertain
the case and then do preliminary investigation to know whether the
petitions were substantial enough to warrant full scale
investigations. It is after that that they would report to House and
advise them during the next House session to set up an investigative
panel to lunch a more thorough investigation. Only when the panel
begins her investigation that the affected officers stand suspended.
But instead of doing what is constitutional, the Speaker connived with
few Honourables promising to give part of the NANS money if it comes,
that they should just suspend the three of us as soon as possible if
they are to stand any chance of accessing the yet-to-be-released
N400,000. They agreed, but how were they to go about that since other
neutral and more seasoned Honourables were likely going to kick
against it? Read on!
On the day of the House session, the Speaker tactically added many
other irrelevant items as part of the agenda. The session started by
5pm. They wasted time discussing those inconsequential issues keeping
the items bordering on petitions as the last. When they eventually got
to the items on petition, it was already 1:30 am. Almost all the
neutral House members had left leaving mainly the Speaker and his
cohort to continue the deliberations. Hence, it was easy to 'murder'
the constitution and get us suspended by simple majority votes. Mr
Speaker was immediately made the Acting President while his Deputy
became the Acting Speaker. Students were shocked to hear about our
suspension the following day. The following Monday he began the
process of changing the Union'S signatory from my own to his own but
his effort proved abortive. And as God would have it the NANS
Convention was postponed and the N400,000 was never approved. They
were all disappointed. His scheming to hold onto power in order to
pave way for his classmate, the PRO to become the next SUG president
had also failed as I got reinstated.
Some weeks later, the NANS convention came calling again. But this
time I decided to go with 6 persons on the Dean's advice since only
N250,000 was approved. The onus fell on me to choose those that would
come with me. Like I said only the presidents are eligible to vote and
the only ones invited. But I convinced our new Dean that I would like
to go with the Speaker, the Chief Judge, SEC GEN, VP, and FIN SEC. the
VP was later replaced with one Honourable because of her exams that
period. I just wanted peace. The N250,000 was to take care of our
Transportation, Hotel accommodation, Feeding, Accreditation and other
logistics. Yet immediately we got to Asaba in the night, the Speaker
and the SEC GEN wanted to fight me, insisting the N250,000 must be
split equally amongst the 6 of us. I couldn't believe my ears and
eyes! It took the intervention of Presidents from other institutions
in Nigeria to rescue me telling them it was a privilege for them to
have even been chosen to come with me. Others never came with their
Speakers or SEC GEN. The Speaker had the bottle to wake the DVC and
Dean up in the middle of the night to report me. The two good mothers
called me and I explained everything to them. They advised me on what
to do and I obeyed. By the end of the 3-day convention, everybody had
received at least N17,000 each and they all thanked me. The little
that remained if any was to be used to run my office. Despite the fact
that the House has no right over any money released for NANS
conventions by the School (since it's always for the president alone
to attend), I still told my FIN SEC to document how the money was
spent for the sake of accountability. He did and I'm to present
everything about the Union's account just before the end of our
tenure. We are yet to do that, so, I don't know where they got the
information that N68,000 was remaining. I can't remember the FIN SEC
presenting the account to any individual or group.
4. THAT I POCKETED N500,000 GIVEN TO THE UNION AT A RALLY.
This is the most ludicrous of all the allegations made by the 7-man
gang. Please note that the organizer of the modest political rally was
the SSA to the current minister for power and his organization called
YILARD in conjunction with the council of SUG Presidents in Enugu
State. Truth is I wasn't even doing much for him as I was busy with
preparation for my 4th MBBS exams. I only managed to put up a few
appearances in their meetings. VP's were not allowed to represent
their Presidents in those meetings. They were not happy but they all
knew my hands were tied. Then on the eve of the rally, I was asked to
mobilize some students to represent support from UNEC axis for M
President and Gburugburu. I never wanted to let them down again. But I
was smart enough to ask the SSA how much each student that attends the
rally would be given at the end of the day. He told our Council that
it was going to be at least N500 (five hundred naira) depending on the
success of the program. While other presidents promised to bring
hundreds of their students to the rally, I was modest enough to say 50
due to the short notice. He promised to provide buses for the rally. I
had to call my PA (i.e. Zimuzo) to as much as he can try to go round
and inform interested students about the rally and the amount for each
of them. The next day students picked from all the recognized tertiary
institutions in Enugu and even including few from our sister campus in
Nsukka all gathered at Okpara square. I can even remember calling the
Mr Speaker that morning to inform him. There was no response but later
sent me a message that he was in a lecture. I still have the message
on my phone.
After the program and to everybody's amazement that day, the SSA of
whom I had asked our students to get his number from him decided that
the money was no longer going to be given at the rally ground to avoid
a stampede. We all protested but later dispersed in anger. That same
night the SSA called all the SUG presidents for a meeting and gave
each school an amount commensurate with the number of names for each
list that students submitted. UNEC was given about N50,000 (FIFTY
THOUSAND NAIRA) and that same night I called Zimuzo to inform all the
students that attended the rally that the money has been made
available. The idea was that they should gather in the morning at
Mbonu Ojike hostel and collect their N500 naira each. I wanted him to
come that morning to Old UNTH (where fifth and final year medical
students stay, outside UNEC) and collect the money himself for onward
disbursement to those that attended, but on a second thought I decided
he should just gather them for me to come and do that myself in order
to avoid controversy. That morning I rushed into UNEC, thanked the
students and gave each of them present there N600 instead of the N500
originally promised. About 40 students benefitted. The remaining
amount was shared among the stakeholders like Zimuzo and his
assistants. Hence, you can understand my shock when the next day I
heard some ingrates were accusing me of having received N500,000 from
the SSA. Isn't that ridiculous? Even the said fifty thousand was not
officially for the Union, it was for those students that attended the
rally. The peddlers of such rumours are only trying to justify their
impeachment plans against me. Please for more clarification on how
much was released for UNEC, please kindly call the SSA to the minister
for Power (popularly called Igwe Wawa) on: 08037622533. Or you can
equally reach the Chairman, Council of SUG PRESIDENT (ie ESUT SUG
President – Afam) on: 07035620210 – or even any other SUG president in
Enugu that you know. The fact remains that it would be naïve of me to
have pocketed N470,000 and expect to go scot free. My conscience and
my desire for good reputation would never allow me do such a thing. I
guess my political enemies think I'm just as dirty as them.
5. THAT I AM THE NUCLEUS OF DISUNITY WITHIN THE EXCO.
When we all assumed office newly, my hopes were that we would work
together as a team. That hope soon got dashed when I realized that the
VP and the Welfare officer were stirring rebellion in the executive
council. Sometimes, to register her insubordination and penchant for
power, she insults me in public and even walks out on us in EXCO
meetings. At other times she would complain she has other important
things to do and would stay away from meetings without cogent reasons.
This practice gradually started permeating the entire EXCO and most
times I would call for meetings and only 5 persons out of 11 would
make it. Very early in the administration, the VP started
indoctrinating the Welfare officer and the DOS not to report
officially to me anymore pointing at the fact that everybody sponsored
their campaign alone. I was devastated. We took the issue to the then
Dean who was quite frank with us and explained to the VP that she was
answerable to me constitutionally. We left, thinking she would improve
but no way. The conducts of officers even deteriorated further:
chewing of gums, noisily answering or making calls, pinging and
watsapping. Hmm! Some were a bit reasonable though. But I was
suffering as a leader. It got so bad in the EXCO that we had to ask
the Chief Judge to help us draft a code of conduct document to see if
attitudes would improve. It never did. The EXCO members were always at
one another's throat. I hate remembering those things. But God knows I
did my best to foster peace such as the UNITY football match and
dinner I told you about. I forgave my VP all she did to me after her
wonderful mom talked to me. I had to take her round all the hostels to
beg students who had by then hated her so much that they never wanted
to see her around their hostels. All the officers came along with us.
This happened just before the second semester exams started. Remember?
What did I not do to bring us together? The VP did not even turn up
for that UNITY dinner. But we achieved a lot though that evening at
Jennifer. The SEC GEN and the DOG exchanged beautiful text messages
for the first time since my administration started. I delighted. I
made peace with the PRO and Welfare officer but by the next day, they
had returned to their old ways because they felt I was not openly
supporting their SUG Presidential aspirations. Hmm! There are still a
few other things to address even regarding our students week. If not
that I am currently in the middle of my exams. I would have loved to
put them all down in black and white. But just as our movie producers
would say: watch out for part 2! AND PLEASE DO SHARE THIS WITH ALL
YOUR FRIENDS TOO. I LOVE YOU.
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