By Elizabeth Olatoye
FATSSSA Press: I’m here as a representative of FATSSSA Press. The Press’ attention has been drawn to the ongoing issue among the PARAGONS. We would like to conduct an interview to help students of the FATSSSA community understand the situation better and to clear the air.
Gloria: Please go ahead.
FATSSSA Press: Thank you. Congratulations on completing a tenure as the General Secretary of FATSSSA
What was the experience like for you?
Gloria: Thank you very much. My experience as general secretary was quite filled with both bad sides and good sides.
On the good side, serving FATSSSAites, being dutiful, being responsible and being the person people looked out to for help and information was one thing I loved. I loved every bit of attending to FATSSSAites. It was stressful, some times I'm called upon at really funny hours to type and submit a letter or some other correspondence duty, but it was quite an interesting experience I must say.
On the bad side, I found myself in positions where I constantly had to fight, stand my ground and go against some things in order to ensure that the right thing was done by the members of the executives. As the general secretary, I was the custodian of the secretariat, I wanted to limit the access people had to the secretariat for the integrity of the association to be maintained, but there was no support from most of the executives for that. I was really limited in performing some of my duties because apparently the president wasn't in support or didn't share the same understanding of the implications of not doing what I was supposed to do.
FATSSSA Press: Bitter-sweet experience. That’s how it always is.
How does limiting the access people had to the Secretariat relate to the integrity of the association?
Gloria: Okay, to be practical. The Dean called us several times to his office about the noise from the secretariat, at a time he had to lock the place up because people still kept on making noise in the secretariat, disturbing the premises.
Other student associations around us heard of this case and it was embarrassing
If people were restricted from sitting leisurely at the secretariat, we wouldn't have such complaints from the Dean, talkless being embarrassed. The secretariat belongs to the association, which is why we all; both Executives and FATSSSAites work together to maintain [its] integrity.
FATSSSA Press: That’s understandable. Can you give an instance to cite when you had to stand your ground in the executive to ensure that things were done right?
Gloria: Alright.
There was a day the president was going to ask the treasurer to go to the bank to withdraw money for an event, I think it was for the picnic or so, without the approval of the staff adviser and sub-dean, I had to order the treasurer not to go anywhere till we get the approval of the appropriate authorities, she listened and we got the approval that day. He claimed there was no time to get the approval and we needed to plan for the picnic because the day was getting closer, that was why he asked her to withdraw without the approval which wasn't even possible because, without the Sub dean's signature, money can't be withdrawn, so I was shocked as to why he would ask her of that, I immediately stepped in and made sure we got the authorities to approve first.
FATSSSA Press: Doing things in the right order? Do you believe in enforcing protocols?
Gloria: Absolutely! There's a reason they are put in place.
FATSSSA Press: In your write-up
You said you would have reported some of these actions to the authorities but you didn’t. Why?
Gloria: I was really going to report it that day, but we had an executive Council meeting and I asked the president a simple question; "Should everyone begin to look out for themselves and protect themselves on this Executive Council or we should work together as a team and do things right?" He answered to the latter and I decided to take his word for it. [However], I wish I had reported because he kept on with his actions and I still had to keep fighting certain things.
FATSSSA Press: Ok. Being in the Executive Council, were the actions of the President discriminatory towards the females? And what about the males?
Gloria: He was not in anyway discriminatory to the females to the best of my knowledge. He treated everyone equally to the best of my knowledge.
FATSSSA Press: Okay. Did the Faculty President try to Jeopardize the MUN?
Gloria: There were instances to suspect that he did.
On one occasion he cut the budget for the MUN really low claiming the association has no money. On another occasion, when the house was deliberating on cancelling the MUN, he didn't help defend the conference with me in the house as the president should. On another, he didn't attend the MUN Conference as he should as the president, he only came for the president's speech and went to sit at the secretariat and when FATSSSAites were sitting outside leisurely while the conference was on going, I asked him to help mobilize them to attend but he refused.
When I asked why he didn't attend he said he had a test, but the test didn't last through out the day so it was enough to suspect he was never in support of it happening.
FATSSSA Press: His presence would have been very encouraging for the students to attend ...Okay but did the Executive ever put the blame of the Executive’s ineffectiveness on you at some point?
Gloria: No, we have never even said to each other that we are ineffective, we only usually state the wrong doings of a particular executive to him or her, not blame anyone for general ineffectiveness.
FATSSSA Press: Okay. Apart from the MUN, did the Paragons under the Olumi’s administration hold any other academic activities?
Gloria: Yes, the two-day academic writing workshop anchored by the Vice President.
FATSSSA Press: Okay.: Did the freshmen respond to the sexual questions the Presidents asked them on their class group?
Gloria: Yes, they engaged him well.
FATSSSA Press: Subsequently, you engaged their knowledge on Lagos government banning styrofoam right?
How did they respond to this?
Gloria: Few of them about 3 or 4 responded and they engaged well with it too. Engaged me and themselves.
FATSSSA Press: What do you think about the Political Caucus.. do you think it is beneficial or a bane to the Faculty’s coordination and progress?
Gloria: Evidently, it's a bane. Such [caucus] and their activities turned people against each other and made things this serious as they are now, just in a bid to get what they want without caring who is sacrificed in the process.
FATSSSA Press: okay. We have four departments in the Social Sciences. What is your opinion on engaging in politics without disrupting the Unity among these departments?
Gloria: There is no way there won't be disunity amongst departments during politics, I mean the division is already evident. But playing politics in ways that lead to permanent hatred amongst two departments is not encouraging. Actions like betraying a department you go into alliance with to deliver your candidates can cause permanent hatred.
I think when departments go into alliances, each party should stick to it, this will help to maintain unity even after an election.
FATSSSA Press: Finally, what do you have to say to students of the FATSSSA community concerning these political issues?
Gloria: It's an avenue for everyone to learn from. There are a lot of lessons to unpack from these issues. I have learnt mine and I am still learning. So, I'm putting it out there to every FATSSSAite to learn from it.
My decision to share the whole story about my political experience since the elections that brought me in as general secretary was one I took to give everyone knowledge of what really is the case. It was something I have actually let go of and forgiven all parties because I really thought it was all over, but seeing what the president posted on his status on the day of our handover ceremony which painted me in a really bad light, I was surprised because we were really cool and laughing with each other days before, I felt foolish for deciding to let it all go, then I decided to narrate everything on my status so everyone can know what really happened.
This is to FATSSSAites for you to know what really happened and to learn from it. And lest I forget, I am really appreciative of the opportunity to serve. THANK YOU FATSSSAITES!
FATSSSA Press: Thank you Gloria .
Gloria: My pleasure.
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