THE FLOP OF A DINNER: OUR ANALYSIS AND OTHER ISSUES ARISING IN FATSSSA.

“A good leader should be quick to say “I’m sorry” but a leader who says “I’m sorry” too often is as incapable as the handicapped” – Anonymous

“It is better not to offer an excuse than a bad one” – George Washington

Until now, the Adeyemo led administration has not been able to provide a tangible reason as to why people who sat the table for six were not catered for. In his usual fashion, he has resorted to word dribble giving no clear answers. From the last conversation the Press had with Mr President, some things were clear – some of which we already knew. Not only does he lack cohesion in his team, he’s considerably lackadaisical. How can the President of FATSSSA be totally clueless on the type security provided for the Dinner? The baseless excuse given was that it was the Social director’s responsibility to get security. Mr President please look up the word, “oversee” and check your constitution again.

Both the President and the Social director gave conflicting reasons as to why there was not enough food. To the social Director, it was due to delayed payment as most people paid at the venue (what kind of planning is this? Shouldn’t the sale of tickets be stopped at least two days to the dinner to enable proper provision and planning? Clearly you just collected people’s money without the intention of feeding them).

To the President it was due to the fact that a lot of people got free tickets (please, how did they get the tickets? who gave them the tickets? Why?)

We’re not concerned about the many display of poor character and street rascality which was the highlight of the Dinner as much as we’re concerned about the causative agents of these happenings. POOR PLANNING, LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAILS!

Let us look at the fights. From around twelve, there was no sight of security of bouncers or any security of some sort. So clearly no mechanism was in place to check any riotous incident. When the first fight broke out at about 2 A.M, where was the security? ‘I don’t know the type of bouncers or security provided’ were the words that came from the very mouth of Mr President when we inquired about security for the venue. How can you not know? You’re bringing over 350 FATSSSAITES away from the safety of the School to somewhere outside school and you have no clear cut arrangement for security? Just how valuable are the lives of FATSSSAITES to you? Lack of attention to detail, poor planning.

While we’re in no way supporting or endorsing the resort to violence in attending to issues, we can’t really fault the people who went a little overboard in asserting for their rights. No matter how civilized a man can claim to be, deprivation can bring out a beastly side never for once foretold – let alone denial of right! How can someone pay an outrageous amount of fourteen thousand naira (in this Buhari economy) all to get a Veleta wine of about five hundred naira? The Social Director claimed not to be “totally aware” of the arrangement for the table for six. Emmanuel, who did you put in charge of the table for six?

Until now, the executive has not provided any valid explanation save for the apology written by the Vice President out of compulsion after the Asst. General Secretary’s failed attempt to point fingers at Mr Jones to the irritation of FATSSAITES in one of the Whatsapp group pages. The apology was sharply written to calm the raging storm but that is not good enough. We won’t have it. We must fix culpability where culpability is, only then can there be accountability.

Those who paid for the table of six deserve a refund and not just some apology given out of circumstantial compulsion. So Mr Emmanuel, When are the people who paid 14, 000 getting their refund?

ON THE SPENT MAGAZINE FUND

Contrary to information circulated by the broadcast message from Mr Jones (the President-elect), the FHR never accepted the apology of the President which was tendered for spending the magazine money against the directive of the FHR. If Mr Jones stayed back till the end of the sitting or paid attention, he would have noticed when the Press raised a point of clarification on the stand of the house as to the spent funds towards the end of the sitting. It should be therefore noted that as far as the Press, The Audit committee and the FHR is concerned, the Executive would be held accountable for all monies spent without approval especially the magazine money.

It would be self-betrayal for the Press to be silent on the issue of the magazine money. It would be betrayal to Fatsssaites and to Pressmen who put in both man-hour and man-power towards the magazine. If for nothing, for the work that has been put into the magazine by the Press, we would see to it that the money approved for the magazine is returned to the account.

P.S: We expect that after this, the Executive Council would put together a hurried piece full of apologia and unworthy excuses in a bid to absolve themselves of their misdeeds.