AS IT WENT AT THE FACULTY LEADERS’ MEETING: A DETAILED REPORT

by Emmanuel Ajiboye

He reported how he inquired in the meeting why the University had provided hand-washing equipment and sanitizers in the less fifty percent-filled Halls of residence, while the environs of the Faculties were left to themselves, even though they are the host of hundred percent of the students for at least ten hours of each day.

   

It became an unusual Friday, on the 11th day of June, from about 11:30am in the Faculty of The Social Sciences. The hours involved were shared among two major events, one graduating immediately into the next.

Before the Faculty Leaders’ meeting began at five minutes after twelve in the afternoon, the Faculty management led by the Dean of the Faculty herself, Professor Catherine Chovwen, visited the new Secretariat of the Faculty’s Students Association (FATSSSA) in order to see, acknowledge, inspect and join in commissioning the learning aids purchased by the FATSSSA leadership.

Guarding the delegation was the FATSSSA President Mr. Josiah Obong Josiah, the General Secretary of the Association, the Assistant General Secretary and some of the other members of the Executive Council. Also, present for the commissioning of the FATSSSA’s Capital Projects were leaders of the Association’s House of Representatives, which function as its Legislative arm.

There was no loss of time as the Projects’ commissioning event morphed into the awaited Faculty Leaders’ meeting.

 The learning aids purchased by the Association’s leadership include;

A 12-inches Public Address system

A 3-in-1 wireless printer

The other projects carried out were;

Renovation of the faculty toilets (installing a functioning tap system into the toilets) and the procurement of new doors

Procurement of hand sanitizers, liquid soaps and buckets

And the painting of the Association’s Secretariat

The Faculty leaders’ meeting which followed had an extended number of invitees.

Included were the Class Representatives for each of the Levels 1 to 4 of each of the constituent four Departments making up FATSSSA.

The current General Secretary of the Association Mr Chukwuma Kingsley, a 300 Level Sociology student was the moderator of the second event. He began by omitting the traditional rendition of both the national and school anthems to save time, thus jumping straight on, to the main business of the day. 

The Dean of the Faculty was the first to be introduced in the list of present dignitaries. Next was the Subdean Dr S. A.  Lafenwa, who without surprise got a deafening ovation and stream of cheers from the present students. 

   

THE DEAN'S MOTHERLY ADMONITION

The Dean of the Faculty spoke first and, in her speech, she reminded students of why they are in school admonishing them to prioritize their academics beyond every other concern.

She shared a number of stories, some of which were from her experiences as the Hall warden of the Queens Hall, earlier in her career. One of such was the case of an unmentioned student resident of the Hall, who lost her academic focus and in turn functioned as a partial housewife for her boyfriend far away from school.

 The Dean’s Speech produced a deep sense of reflection from the hearing students, making it easy to conclude that each listener took an urgent and important lesson back home.

      THE PRESIDENT'S PLEA

The President of the Association Mr Obong Josiah spoke next. The mainstream of his words centered upon five major point, which culminated into bringing a lot of life into the program.

The first point was about the Association’s main dues. This has to do with showing how well the association had complied so well with the agreement the University management struck with the Students Union that no association should charge anything beyond the sum of N2,500 for the basic dues. 

Also, it became worthy in the foregoing to mention that each departmental association within the faculty had equally complied.

Next, he spoke and appealed on behalf of students in the Faculty, to the Dean of the Faculty for the opening of the lecture theatres for overnight reading.

Then he mentioned the financial burdens involved in maintaining the Covid-19 protocols within the Faculty. He hinted from an earlier “central leadership meeting” which the Dean of Students had with the student leaders across the faculties. 

He reported how he inquired in the meeting why the University had provided hand-washing equipment and sanitizers in the less fifty percent-filled Halls of residence, while the environs of the Faculties were left to themselves, even though they are the host of hundred percent of the students for at least ten hours of each day.

He then faced the leaders present to warn against littering the faculty environs. 

In his emphasis on cleanliness, he urged an applause for the association’s Assistant General Secretary who had made himself personally responsible for cleaning and maintaining the usefulness of the classrooms' boards.

 

   SNAPSHOTS FROM THE SUBDEAN, DR S.A LAFENWA'S ADDRESS

He first informed the whole house of the Dean’s benevolence in paying the school fees of two students in the Faculty who could not meet up with the payment deadline.

He also called for proper documentation of students’ registrations and other academic commitments.

He said students should check online whether their registration was properly done, and has been properly approved. 

He urged those who registered for more than 45 units without approval to go and seek approval

He reminded the Faculty leaders of the obligation to submit reports of their activities, including financial reports at the end of the semester.

That the subdean is currently one of the signatories to the association’s accounts

He said some exams will be written in CBT mode, especially 100L exams

That final year and 300L exams will come first on the timetable

The Faculty Adviser is Dr K.K Salami of Sociology Department

The Faculty’s Students Help Center is headed by Dr Yingigba Akinyemi, of Geography Department.

                

         THE DEAN’S INTERVENTION

The Dean of the Faculty Professor Catherine Chovwen intervened to answer some of the important questions and pleas of the association’s President in the following remarks;

Federal government has not made any payment into the schools till date. Cleaners do not have their full salaries paid yet and as such the environment must be used with a sense of responsibility by the students to keep it clean

Lecturers have been pleaded with to give more friendly questions which students would be able to more easily approach.

 But that is no license to be lackadaisical in studying. 

The appeal was made due to the peculiar nature of the semester.

 However, it is no assurance that exam questions will or must be simple. They will most probably not be.

Reacting to the Association’s President’s plea, Prof Chovwen said the faculty LLT will be open and made available for study during the day time but not overnight due to security concerns

At the end of her intervention, the meeting closed with the rendition of the school anthem. 

Light refreshments were also served.