Note: This is a sequel to “[Special Report] Almost 3 Months after Handover, Outgone Executives in Control of Halls Account”.
Preamble
When reached regarding the delay in changing signatories of the Halls bank account, the Honourable Speaker of the Zik Legislative Council made reference to how the Hall Secretary, Mr Samson Oloyede as a result of the unchanged signatories sought the consent of the House to use alternative means to solicit and secure funds to organise tutorials for freshmen and how the proposal was rejected on grounds of due process.
In his words: “The Hall Secretary, Mr Samson Oloyede reached out to me seeking the consent of the Legislative Council to use his own personal account to solicit for funds for the Zik hall tutorials for freshmen, however, upon deliberations by the house, it was rejected on the grounds that due process should be followed. Hence, the effect of this delay is though primarily borne by the executives who will not be able to access the Hall’s account and may not be able to use same to solicit for funds, hence, I learnt that most of their activities are being sponsored from their personal, individual accounts. The House also realise that it has a huge impact on the generality of Zikites, case in sight is that of the freshmen that may be affected by the delay.“
Based on the aforementioned background, our correspondent reached the Hall Secretary who broached issues surrounding the unchanged signatories, the attitude of the House and its overall consequences. The transcript is as follows:
How did you feel when your proposition was rejected by the House?
At first, when I heard that the House rejected the proposal, I felt very disheartened.
First, I want to believe the Honourable members do not know what motivated the conducting of physical tutorials. The Academic Committee has set goals for this session, one of which is ensuring no Zik Hall freshman is tsunamized. We also want to make as many first-class students as possible just as Zik Hall has succeeded in doing over the years. Then, Covid-19 and virtual learning happened. The irony is that it is at a time when UI freshmen have never needed tutorials more than ever before that the school is refusing to allow anyone hold tutorials within its premises.
The spirit of Zikism is a resilient one. Not minding the odds, the Academic Committee worked on getting a place to hold tutorials outside the school premises. This was definitely not easy at all but the goal justified the efforts.
Asides this, you would recall that Zik Hall conducted a virtual Academic seminar for freshmen. A number of them were asking when our physical tutorials were to start, that they were in dire need of it.
From the viewpoint of Zikism, even if the tutorials were being conducted for just ONE Zik freshman, it would be justified not to talk of when many of them were clamouring for it.
Now, the tutorials can definitely not run without funds. The Committee prepared a budget for the tutorials factoring recurrent costs and the Mock exams we intend to conduct, etc. I intended to do everything possible to seek donations for sponsors.
Sadly, despite all limited efforts I could make, the officials in charge of the Hall Account were yet to make the change of signatories and the Hall Account couldn’t be used. And it is common knowledge that it is not ideal or constitutional to receive funds for the Hall into a personal account. However, the peculiarity of the situation and its exigency are what made me propose to the House that I should either use my account to collect donations or that of another executive for the sake of accountability. I also vehemently promised to give accurate account of every donation coming in and the way it was expended but the House refused.
I won’t deny, I felt pained.
But sincerely, my pain wasn’t personal. Everyone knows there is nothing I stand to gain from making these sacrifices. I’m not contesting for any post, I’m not being paid, but I have bound myself with the promise I made to Zikites to promote the spirit of excellence inherent in Zikism of which academic excellence is an integral part.
I felt pain for the freshmen who had been pestering me even in my dms to ask for physical tutorials because they were the ones affected by the decision.
The decision also seemed to make all the previous strenuous efforts made in setting up the Academic Committee, getting tutors and the near-impossible task of securing a venue for the tutorials a waste.
I also felt pain for another reason, the decision of the members of the House really shocked me, myself having served in the Zik House the previous session.
My little understanding of legislative business is that both Executives and Legislators are first indebted to the people they are to serve more than anything else. As a result, any policy or resolution being made should be such as to better the plight of those whom they propose to serve.
But I can’t really fault the legislators. Due to the virtual semester, they are yet to have floor members. Being a legislator with ascertainable constituents is actually another ballgame entirely because you’d have been seeing freshmen who are your floor members coming to you to whine everyday about the effect of a virtual semester on their learning and even mental health. If Honourable members had such an opportunity, I believe they might not have arrived at such a decision that adversely affected the freshmen and no one else.
The rationale of the Legislature in arriving at that decision also baffled me, it was more like to them, the law is more important than Zikites. It is natural and just to bend rules in instances where it won’t provide fair results for the people whom the rules were made for in the first place. The decision was more like preferring the Constitution above Zikites, Due process above Zikites’ excellence. Zikism is actually a utilitarian ideology and the Zik Hall Constitution which is predated by Zikites and not vice versa is accommodating to this. Things should be done for the greater good.
Now, the Hall Account signatory which is yet to be changed is not the fault of my office, not the fault of the untiring Academic Committee and definitely not the fault of the freshmen who are at the receiving end of this decision. How then is sticking rigidly to the constitutional provision utilitarian? Does the law exist to serve Zikites or Zikites exist to serve the law?
I still can’t fathom what made the House arrive at this decision. If it is to denote the supremacy of their arm of government, it is already acknowledged. But saying they can’t for whatever reason deviate from the law without proferring a solution or alternative to salvage the situation is not commendable at all. The House can even take this initiative to amend Section 59 (3) of the Constitution which seems to compel all revenue being paid EXCLUSIVELY to the Hall Account in order to cater for situations like this.
Why do you think there has been delay in changing signatories of the Hall’s account? Whose fault?
To the best of my knowledge, which is limited on this issue, I believe the reason the signatory is yet to be changed is because of the unavailability of the officials responsible for the change of signatory. They have to be physically present to effect it.
The former Finance Minister and current one seem to have gone AWOL. And no thanks to the virtual semester, it is very easy to be miles away from the University Campus and still keep track with classes and academic activities.
I remember there was a time Belloshaggi, the former Finance Minister was around for a few days, the current Finance Minister wasn’t available. By the time the current Finance Minister was to announce his readiness, no one could lay a hand on the former Finance Minister. I even heard a rumour that he might not be in the country at the moment.
So, from my limited knowledge of the situation (because the little I have said is the little I was told), the unavailable officials are the reason the signatory is yet to be changed. As regards the question of who is at fault for this, permit me to refer you to Section 60 of the Zik Hall Constitution which addresses Accountability of Hall Officers. Subsections 4 and 5 of this section talk about handing over of Hall properties, the steps to be taken by the new officer in case of wrongful handover of Hall property. As it stands, the Hall Account is a property of the Hall. It wasn’t properly handed over to the new Finance Minister and he has the responsibility to bring a complaint to the Legislative Council as subsection 5 of that section stipulates.
This would make me address the rationale for the decision(s) of the House. I’ve noticed that the current House regards this current Executive Council like one with collective responsibility instead of individual responsibility.
Collective responsibility works in a parliamentary system of government like what obtains in the United Kingdom. If one member of cabinet defaults in his duties, the whole cabinet is held responsible and bears the brunt for it.
However, under a presidential system of government like what operates in Nigeria and Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, if a Minister defaults, he solely bears responsibility for his actions. Other cabinet members cannot be made to suffer for his action (or inaction) the same way Isa Pantami’s terror links will not make the National Assembly to ask Chris Ngige to resign with him despite his poor management of the country’s labour sector.
The same thing applies in Zik Hall. If by second semester, tanks are not being washed, the House can only summon the Health Minister, not the Hall Secretary or the entire Executive Council to answer for unwashed tanks. The Sports Minister can also not be summoned to answer for a Hall Secretariat that is not well maintained or a non-functional Academic Committee because all these are under the purview of the Office of the Hall Secretary. These officials will definitely not be sanctioned in these instances for things that are wrong but which are not directly under their offices.
The same logic goes for the Hall Account. Change of signatory is exclusively under the Office of the Finance Minister and Hall Chairman. Those are the officials that the Legislative should hold accountable for the current situation, not the Hall Secretary and definitely not the Zik Hall freshmen who are at the receiving end.
Do you hold that the damage will be unalterable if the signatories are not changed anytime soon?
As regards unalterable damage being done if change of signatories is not effected anytime soon, I would say damage has already been done and more damage will be done if we can’t get a solution soon.
First, up till now, the Academic tutorials have been being funded from the pockets of some members of the Executive Council.
Personally, owo ti ku zero naira lowo mi because of this and I am not even joking. I’ve been down broke for the past two weeks as a result of using the little money on me to ensure we are able to hold tutorials.
Some of the sacrificial tutors come from far distances and we have to reimburse their transport fare. Sometimes, we only get to do so in part. They also expend their energy to teach the students for over two hours despite being students having commitments themselves. They do all these for free with the sacrificial spirit of Zikism. We just try to give them little refreshments which are not in the least commensurate to the sacrifice being made.
Sadly, due to the lack of funds (and the inability to source for same as a result of bureaucracy), we have successfully cancelled one edition of the tutorials. We couldn’t have tutorials Saturday last week.
Also, we are planning to conduct Mock exams next week and we have no funds yet. No funds and no means to source for funds as a result of lack of a bank account or permit to use an alternative account. We have even proposed to use the account of a legislator if that will ascertain accountability.
If we consider it properly, the reason donations are to be made exclusively to the Hall Account is first, to make donors trust the veracity and accountability of those they are donating to. It also allows for easy monitoring and accountability. If these can be achieved by an alternative, I believe we should go for it so as not to do more damage.
In all, the inability to source for funds as a result of yet-to-be-claimed account and no provision of an alternative is demotivating, I won’t want to say spirit dampening.
Sourcing for funds is normally not easy, and getting donors is also not a certainty but when that is the only available means of generating revenue for the Hall, what can one do?
Truth is members of the Executive Council are also students. Exams are approaching and this time is not even a convenient time for running around. It was always a thing of the earlier, the better”.
Nevertheless, if the issue of an account for donations is resolved, we would stage a last-ditch attempt at raising funds for the Academic Committee’s expedient programmes.
