As The S.U.G Candidates Emerge!!

By
Akpezi Joseph

     The much anticipated CRUTECH SUG elections have finally been concluded and the various players and stakeholders can finally heave a sigh of relief seeing the process was one turbulent process that sapped the energy out of everyone.Kudos need to be ascribed to the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. David Effiom for ensuring a turbulent process such as the SUG election was to an extent managed well, though pundits would cast aspersion as to the modus operandi of the process, no doubt for a process the DSA is overseeing for the first time, I think Crutites should cut the amiable Prof a slack for a job well done. Coming from a pure academic background as a classroom don, having a stint as Director of CES before his appointment as DSA by Prof. Owan Enoh following the imbroglio that ensued the last SUG elections of 2014, we can well say the humble Prof has done well in learning through the ropes as he faced the ominous task of managing the ever chaotic portfolio of student affairs.The extraneous relationship that had embroiled the two arms of the SUG I believe had been a catalyst for learning the job, coupled with tumultuous elections of the faculties of education, sciences and NAKISS had prepared the DSA for the SUG elections.But the SUG is a different ball game, having to conduct elections for the entire institution for seats into both Parliamentary and Executive positions was a darn task the DSA, his team and the Faculty Presidents making up the CRUECO needed face squarely. Without the risk of blowing their trumpet, the CRUECO to a reasonable extent did a yeo man's job, but like every phenomena in life, there would always be two sides to a coin and many had reservations as to the conduct of the elections.For the uninformed, the procedure leading to the emergence of candidates involves a process of aptitude test writing where intellectual capabilities are gauged, security screening, other screenings that involve ensuring CGP's are up to the required cut-off, school fees are up to date and so on. Having concluded that, the candidates would have to engage in consultations, campaigns, manifestoes etc.The elections which for the third time in a role was conducted using the online platform would again test the veracity and the credibility of the system being a concrete avenue of electing SUG representatives. No sooner the first scheduled elections began, it was cancelled sequel to allegations and counter allegations that the portal had been hacked from the various camps, it was reported that a certain candidate had gotten over 200 votes in less than 5minutes the official time for the elections had opened. Allegations of some of the Presidential candidates doling out cash sum in excess of hundreds of thousands to staff of the MIS unit as a form of inducement to curry favours were flying the air, this episode had brought to the fore burner the vulnerability of the online system, as everyone knew it could be hacked, but management were very sure and had humongous faith that the system was water-tight. This scenario was a clear evidence that indeed the online voting, with it's attendant advantage of ensuring elections were devoid of violence that had characterised previous open ballot system was not sacrosant as loopholes whereby doctoring of results in cyberspace had been traced. The elections were cancelled seeing there was an overwhelming evidence of hacking. Pleas and agitations from students that the elections be resorted back to the secret open ballot system fell on deaf ears as the DSA categorically opined in an emphatic tone that the online system has come to stay and management was not discarding it, saying the system can only be improved on. A new date was fixed and modalities from CRUECO to ensure a credible system was giving out customized passwords and promises of a water-tight firewall to block hackers from penetrating the site. Fair enough this was a short term plan for the task at hand but the mad rush for students to go to the Students affairs division and get their passwords for an election that was barely 24 hours was rather an undue pressure on the candidates as ''fire-brigade'' approach was scorned at by the majority of students whom would rather not waste their time to go through the hurdle of queuing for long hours just to get a password so as to vote for some contestant whom when he/she emerges would end up doing ''nothing''. It was a huge burden on the candidates as they had to go through the stress of begging unconcerned students to come get their passwords. This issue arouses the question of the number of persons that end up taking part in the Sug elections, numbers are a key factor in elections, it is expedient that the Students should be entrenched in the election process of choosing their representatives, this should be done through ensuring avenues are created where majority of the Students are involved, it is expected that there would always be voter apathy, the CRUECO has to ensure platforms are created to ensure students are fully in the process. The system whereby the total number of students in CRUTECH numbering over 12,000 and only a little of about 2-3000 persons take part in the process is not really ideal. Parts of the issues the CRUECO would need to look into as a way of ensuring voter apathy is reduced is by ensuring they provide voting booths across the faculties for voters to access, the system whereby contestants are liable to provide computers, modems, data bundles and personnel to man these booths is rather not fair. Also a suitable way of accessing passwords that would involve a not too cumbersome process, devoid of haste should be put in place for subsequent elections.Now that the elections have been concluded and the winners have emerged, let me use this medium to congratulate the winners; Odu Emmanuel as President, Pamela Ofem as VP, and other candidates that emerged, on your shoulders lie the task of ensuring the mantle of unionism is taken to an ample and amiable height. Overtime there is a seeming irritant cliche bandy around by some persons; ''Union is dead in CRUTECH'', personally if you ask me I'll say this expression was manufactured by persons whom have not had the privilege of being in the union and as a way of venting out their anger have decided to take solace in that expression. With due respects, I do feel their are issues in the union that require attention as the very essence of students unionism which entails the service to welfarism of students have not been carried with the vigour it ought to, it is a task every one of us as unionist tackle head long and ensuring the leaders are advised and supported, this should indeed serve as a call to action to the incoming administration to consolidate on the gains of the outgoing government and bring in ideas to move the union forward.The union should be independent, proactive measures to ensure students welfare should be the watchword. The outgoing parliament had in it's quest for protecting students welfare come up with a wonderful document to ensure prices of commodities like food, Keke, photocopy etc. were slashed, today some of the business operators have started going back to their old prices, good a thing the current President is the incumbent Director of welfare and was involved in all of the negotiations, it should be a task faced headlong to ensure the agreed status quo remains.These and many more should be issues to be put in perspective by the incoming administration.