History has beckoned on the University with the election of Comrade AdeolaTawakalt Ahmed a.k.a. D’ola as the first female President of FUNAAB Student Union (FUNAABSU) since the establishment of the institution Thirty One (31) years ago.
Daring all odds, D’ola, apparently inspired and armed by the women spirit of Beijing Conference came out of the “other room” and the ‘fire side’ which the society socially reserved for the womenfolk and bestrode the male dominated SUG like a colossus and emerged with a resounding victory.
Incidentally, the monumental feat which saw her making serious positive incursion into the University’s annals came on the eve of the celebration of the World’s Women Day and barely two weeks after the nation’s Presidential Elections was conducted with the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako acting as the returning officers for Lagos State.
Susan B. Anthony, an American Social Reformer and Women Rights Activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement probably had the likes of D’ola in mind when she declared thus:
“The day will come when man will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, would there be perfect comradeship, the ideal union between sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race”.
D’ola is a 400 Level student of Animal Breeding and Genetic, College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM).
The new President of the Student Union has assured her teeming fellow students and the entire University Community that she won’t run a gender biased union.
Comrade Ahmed who disclosed this in her Acceptance Cum Appreciation Speech said her Unionism is all gender embracing.
According to her, “This is not a unionism of gender, but a unionism of all by all and for all. Remember, we’re all FUNAABITES, we are one big family”.
She also diffused the probability of non-performance based on gender consideration, declaring that “I want you to take off your mind from any gender sentiment in respect to my ability to deliver as the President, I want to assure you that this Administration will deliver beyond imagination”.
The emergence of Tawakalt Ahmed as Student Union President has lent credence to the University’s commitment to gender equality.
It is on record that women have been occupying sensitive posts since the inception of the University with Princess Bisi Soboyejo serving as Pioneer Registrar. Presently, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor (Mrs.) Morenike Dipeolu and the University Librarian, Dr. (Mrs.) Fehintola Onifade are amazons.
In the previous Administration, Professor (Mrs.) Oluyemisi Eromosele and Dr. (Mrs.) Mulikat Salaam were Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, and University Librarian respectively.
With the just concluded World’s Women Day stoking and rekindling the raging fire of women empowerment, who knows may be an amazon will become FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor sooner than later; only time will tell.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako and other Principal Officers of the University have met with the new Executives of the Student Union and congratulated them on a successful election.
The Vice Chancellor who noted that Management had no interest on who emerged as the President of the Student Union, however disclosed that he was particularly happy that for the first time in the 31 years existence of the University, a female student had emerged as the President of the Union.
According to Professor Salako, “One thing I want to assure all of you is that none of us (Management) had any particular interest in whoever emerged but we were interested in not having miscreants hijack our Student Union”.
He charged the entire Students Union Executives to work as a team towards ensuring a successful representation of the Students body while adding that they should follow their constitution and make their administration participatory.
The Vice Chancellor also enjoined new students’ representatives to hit the ground running and leave a legacy that God will be proud of, stressing that Management will not allow anyone to make a mess of the University in the name of unionism.
Professor Salako encouraged the new Students’ Union Executives to always feel free to approach the University Management for dialogue on challenges they might be facing, assuring them that such issues will be properly looked into and addressed appropriately.
Responding on behalf of the new Students’ Union Executive, the President, Comrade Ahmed promised that her team will be good ambassador of the University in and outside the campus and will always portray the image of the Institution in good light.
