By Olaniyan Ridwan, Waleeyah Ambali, & Jalaalah Oluwatunmike Shittu
The Senate Council convened an emergency session to nominate, screen, and swear in members of the Unilorin of Ilorin Student Electoral Committee, UISEC, ahead of the upcoming campus election. The session, which is the fourth of the semester, commenced later than scheduled, following the arrival of Senate President Senator Fasasi Hamed.
UISEC, tasked with overseeing the campus general election, requires each faculty at the University of Ilorin to nominate two members with a minimum of two academic sessions in the institution. Despite these stipulations, certain faculties, including Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences, flouted the regulations.
Particularly, the Faculty of Life Sciences encountered issues in their nominations, including selecting a student who fell short of the two-academic-session requirement. Senate President Senator Fasasi Hamed subsequently disqualified this nominee. Another nominee from the same faculty, Mr. Muheez, faced disqualification due to a history of disrespectful behavior and previous suspension during his time as a member of his faculty’s SRC.
A witness, the current sitting speaker of the Faculty SRC chamber, recounted the suspension incident, clarifying that Comrade Muheez had indeed been suspended. The witness also revealed that a current senator representing Life Sciences, Senator Everskeli, had been suspended as well, sparking controversy within the council. The Senate President called for order, and the accused senator denied the allegations, deeming them mere propaganda.
Amidst further deliberations, it was disclosed that not all senators representing Life Sciences had signed the nomination list. Consequently, the sub-dean of student affairs suggested closer monitoring of the Faculty of Life Sciences due to the ongoing concerns. The matter was eventually referred to the council’s ethics and disciplinary committee, along with the Unilorin Independent Students’ Anti-Corrupt Practices Commission, for thorough investigation.
In the end, a total of 24 nominees were sworn in as UISEC members, with Commissioner Ajadi Ademola from the Faculty of Education appointed as the committee’s chairman for the 2021/2022 parliamentary session.