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The Aspirants Debate organized by Legal Kekenke for the intending candidates of the Law Students Society, AAUA held on Saturday, October 7, 2023. The event witnessed the participation and attendance of the moderators, aspirants, and the audience.
The session followed the question-and-answer format, with the moderators making the first move before leaving the floor open to the audience to ask the aspirants. They also emphasized the prerequisites of adhering to the established rules that guide the debate session.
To kickstart the session, the aspirant for the office of the Librarian, Salami Princess Ayomide (PRINCESS) was called up to the box. The librarian aspirant noted the functions of the office and her intention to expertly, actively, and deliberately portray the relevance of the office. With such enthusiastic belief in her capacity, she enlisted the provision of weekly law reports, the creation and organization of avenues and programs that foster questions and answers about academics, the provision of debates, and other academic competitions.
In her response to the question on the significant challenges facing law students and how to address them, she pointed towards the research problem and the provision of research materials and documents through contribution as its cure. In addition, to maintain the library culture and encourage the attendance of the library among the students, she assures the provision of WiFi and a serene environment in the library.
According to her, "what you want is going to be there?"
As regards her ability to organize these programs without the Vice President and Public Relations Officer, she invented the provision of financial support for the public relations officer with respect to the weekly law reports. Also, being the secretary of the academic committee, the provisions of the constitution will afford these opportunities seamless to achieve. She, however, made a sharp pronouncement of her intention to fund these programs personally from her pocket.
The aspirant for the office of Assistant General Secretary, Akinola Kehinde (ADEKUNLE)was also invited to the box. In his introductory speech, he outlined the function of the assistant general secretary and his intention to facilitate communication among the members of the society in order to promote growth, the proper flow of correspondence from the executive to the lssites (he gave an instance of an lssite being ignorant of the Moot and Mock Competition), the timely documentation of things, and to foster an inclusive environment that accords importance to the opinions of the society members.
He subsequently boasted of his prowess as a good listener and being cooperative in his involvement with others. He further made clarification as to his functions as outlined by the constitution, thus being explicable to be differentiated from the public relations officer's.
Question From The Moderators:
How do you intend to contribute to the society to foster development from the ones earlier mentioned?
Through the organisation of competition in conjunction with other universities.
Questions From The Audience
-Ayokunmi: Documentation as earlier mentioned, are you sure you can do all these things?
"I'm very sure I'm capable to do all these things". He further reiterated his stance on ensuring proper documentation upon his emergence.
Shortly after, Aromole Abiola, an aspirant for the office of Treasurer was inclined to share his motives and opinions relating to the office.
Questions From The Audience
Emmanuel Akinmola, 100-level: How do you intend to ensure the remittance of the society's account? Is it weekly, or monthly?
He stated his willingness to publish such remittances at any time at the request of the President.
In the same manner, Oluruntuyi Emmanuel (EMMANUEL SAN), one of the aspirants for the office of Financial Secretary, was invited to feed to the audience of his competence. Likewise, he assured the society of his acute performance in the office through effective management of the financial account, the collection of the society's funds from lssites and the issuance of receipts. He also enlisted the connection between the offices of the Financial Secretary and the Treasurer, and his ability to avoid any contradictions or usurpations in such respect.
He further relayed his ability to source funds in order to finance projects for the society.
Question From The Moderators:
How best do you think you can encourage the lssites to pay their dues?
"By ensuring that, for instance, that assignment would not be allowed to be submitted unless the respective dues are paid."
Questions From The Audience
Seyi, 300-level asked him how long it would take him to remit the money gotten upon being elected into the office, before redirecting him to say that the remittance should be within 24 hours.
Jazparo, 300-level: Upon serving under Lawsan, can you point to anything your position has done for any lssites as a member of their committee for finance? Also, educate us about the things you know about tax collection.
He mentioned the convention held in Lagos, and attributed it to being a success. However, he was grilled further that the supposed convention never held, but the aspirant found it hard to defend his earlier declaration about the convention. Upon further questioning from Jazparo, that is, if his position in the organization benefited any member of LSS.
He abruptly told Jazparo to come to his DM for the answer.
Seyi, 400-level, asked about his knowledge concerning some of the functions the current financial secretary has failed to perform and whether he intends to build on such nonchalance and non-responsiveness to official duties.
The aspirant, however, responded that the current financial secretary has been performing his duties well.
Seyi asked further about his knowledge about the failure of the financial secretary to publish the remittance of the LSS account, even upon the request of the LSRC.
In response, he stated, "Go to the financial secretary and ask him that question".
Subsequently, Oluwaseun Iseoluwa, a 400-level student who is aspiring for the office of the Students Representative Council, also immensely demonstrated his supposed passion and his commitment toward ensuring adequate representation of his constituency and the society at large. He abruptly mentioned adequate representation of students, welfarism and transparency, accountability and collaboration among others as fundamental leadership qualities, and his intent to ensure compliance with these skills and policies as a prospective member of the council. Upon further questioning from the moderators, he made reference to being acute and the need to understand the yearnings of the society through accurate observations of their needs.
As the debate session proceeded, the intending Chief Justice of the Students Union Government, Aanuoluwapo Peter (GABPET) and Olorunfemi Israel(ISREAL) were called up to the boxes oppositely facing each other.
Both aspirants elaborated on the respective functions of the Chief Justice of the Students Union Government by making abrupt references to Sections 59 and 58 of the Constitution. They both emphasized the essence of justice in the society being maintained through the tenets of natural justice, public sensitization on its rudiments, as well as the organization of Judicial Summit to further this prospect.
Questions From The Moderators
1. Are you saying the current administration is not working well while referencing the things in the aspirants debate form?
Peter: He tendered that as a misconstruction and that his position in such respect was in reference to the administrations before the current one, in person of David Adenegan, the current Chief Justice of SUG. He stated further that the current administration has tried to effect a change in the judiciary arm in order to allay the dormancy of such an office. He also stated that the Students Judicial Council should be known only for Judicial summit.
2. How can the dormancy that preludes the SJC be evaded, and how to reposition the judicial arm?
Israel: Through the creation and organization of programs.
Peter: Through the creation of seminars or programs that foster the selection of the most competent persons to become SJC members. He equally referred to adequate publicity.
3. How can the SJC eradicate or mitigate corruption in the system?
Peter: Through active involvement in the system that tends towards deliberately fishing out persons that are committed to destroying the system. Such continuity in corruption can be evaded by writing to University officials and ensuring that only persons of integrity emerge into the offices to ensure justice dispensation.
Israel: Through adequate reportage of such corrupt practices to the school authority.
4. The Office of the Chief Justice being the apex of the SJC, what are the jurisdictions of the SJC?
Israel: The jurisdiction lies only between the students and students, and doesn't include the university.
Peter: He answered the questions by making reference to two jurisdiction, and emphasized more on pronounced judgement.
5. In situations where a law student has an issue with a philosophy student who is ignorant that he could be represented by a law student but instead calls on a Justice from his department, how would the chief Justice ensure fairness in the case?
Peter: To solve this, he emphasized cooperation with the said Justice from the department without obstructing justice. He also said that some of the processes can be waived in favour of the students who are ignorant of the formal court processes in order to ensure justice.
Israel: Through the hearing of both sides, regardless of whether they are representing themselves or are duly represented.
6. Also, how would you use your experiences to better the society especially, in the case of clashes of judgments and the orientations of other justice who know little or nothing about the law?
Peter emphasized the orientation of the justices before allowing them to preside over a case and then ensured that they were not influenced by the parties. As regards experience, he emphasized that justice shouldn't be mixed-up with emotions. Israel equally raised similar opinions.
Lastly, and for the final aspirants that appeared for the debate session, ADEJUTE OLUWATOMISIN G (TOMTOM) and ADEYEMI JOEL MILK KEHINDE (MILK), the presidential aspirants in the forthcoming election were called up to each opposite box.
In their introductory speeches, both aspirants were allowed to express themselves and, as well, enlighten the audience on the functions of the office and the expectations of the society upon emergence. Milk articulated his past achievements within and outside of the society and finished off with a declaration that his unwavering dedication should make him capable. TomTom as well emphasized on his indelible passion for the welfare of the people of the society as his driving force for contesting.
Questions From The Moderators
1. How do you plan to collaborate with other executives?
TomTom: Listening ears and ensuring that everyone is equally heard.
Milk: He equally said to begin, is getting the cooperation of every Exective on board.
2. What are the major issues in LSS and how to solve it?
Milk: He made reference to the awful conditions of the new lecture theater as one of the issues currently being faced by the society. He traced this down to the effects on the morals of the society members as a whole. He thereafter assured of suitable and convenient LTs upon election, and if this wouldn't work, then he'd consider the renovation of the new LT.
He enlisted the other issues relating to the organization of events and programs in the society in terms of the disarrangement of society's extracurricular activities, clashing of classes with chambers and other association meetings and as well, a need for rectification in these respects.
TomTom: He equally referred to the intrusion of the lecture theatres by students from other departments. He mentioned of his several attempts to ensure a glaring demarcation that the block belongs to the LSS, which he evidently made possible with the fixture of the LSS Mirror on the outside wall.
He also encouraged the fostering of mutual relationships among the teachers and the students and his willingness to ensure their development and possibility.
Questions From The Audience
Gkey: What are the situations that you handled that expertly depicted your leadership skills?
TomTom: He made recourse to his services in the society, most especially as the Chief Liaison Officer of his level. He also referred to an incident where he had to resolve a budding issue between his mate and a lecturer.
Milk: He, as well, made reference to his encouragement of a 100-pevel student who was a bit agitated and wasn't particularly sure about studying law. He was able to relate with her and also, calm her down.
Esquire: In the offices you had the opportunity to hold, what are the achievements you have made in those offices that their level mates can attest to?
Milk: Serving as a member of the LSRC, and in lieu of that, he created an anonymous to gather the opinions of their level mates and facilitate how the LSRC can help them.
TomTom: He mentioned his achievements as the CLO of his level and how he has been able to adequately represent the interests of his levelmates to the faculty. He has also been able to foster and maintain good relationships between the lecturer and students. Besides, he won the Best CLO in the previous dinner.
In furtherance to the questions, Jazparo referred to his responses to the interview held by Legal Kekenke between the two presidential aspirants and the statements made during the same as regards the Constitutional Drafting Committee. Milk replied that the interview was handled and the responses given by his campaign group due to his unavailability at that point in time.
However, Barrytee, a 400-level student, raised an objection as regards the relevance of such questions and their inability to serve as criteria to weigh the competence of the aspirant.
Berry: How do you intend to cooperate with the LSRC upon emerging?
Milk: He emphasized ensuring consistent, effective, and open communication between the two arms, and as well, ensuring the LSRC performs its function as it is due.
TomTom: He equally emphasized ensuring cooperation between the two arms.
Gkeyz: As regards the incessant aggressive competition in politics exhibited within the society, how do you intend to curb the continuous infestation?
Milk: He stated that he valued competence over politics and could appoint any competent person into office regardless of their standing.
TomTom: He also emphasized on the need for competence over politics, and if he feels a person is more capable, he would appoint them.
Both aspirants also expressed their opinions and their supposed reactions in respect of utilizing the 3 C's, that is, Consultation, Consolidation, and Confrontation, with both stating that they'd resort to Confrontation depending on the seriousness of the situation.
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Shortly after, the debate session was brought to a close, having allowed opposing contestants to express themselves and as well showcase the probable competence they profess to have, and that the society members perceive them to exhibit.
The Vote of Thanks was handled by Lkite Temi.
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It's also a coincidence that the aspirants manifesto will be held today by the Electoral Committee. Read the broadcast released by the committee and the qualified persons that are enslied for the event.
LK...Making a statement!
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