As an established culture in the University of Jos, electioneering will soon permeate the atmosphere of the campuses. Aspirants are already gearing up, waiting for the official declaration period that allows them to make their political aspirations known, very much like chess players at the drawing board, getting their kings ready. It is therefore necessary to reflect on the contemporary political culture of the campus to reawaken the political consciousness of the students and help aspiring leaders grasp the current state of affairs, the stumbling blocks, and the enormity of work that lies ahead.
As the breeding ground for full-fledged politics, campus politicking is very crucial in developing the capacity of leaders for the future. The political arena of the University of Jos, which ought to be a sandbox for experimenting leadership abilities is sadly found wanting, as the terrain is currently home to lazy activism.
The primary responsibility of any student body, be it at departmental, faculty, or the Student Union Government (SUG) level, is to represent student concerns and facilitate communication with the management to ensure that students’ welfare is guaranteed. Unfortunately, successive executives of these associations have failed to perform this duty. The recurrent failure of the executives of virtually all the student body has led to widespread political apathy on campus.
Candidates in every election cycle campaign enthusiastically about how they intend to bring transformation to the governance of student affairs. However, when they eventually get into the corridors of decision-making, these officials immediately neglect the student cause and begin observing Nigerian table manners of not talking while eating.
The brazen indifference of the elected officials towards students’ plights has called for scrutiny of the election process. It is common knowledge that the entry requirement of servitude to the student cause has been relegated to take a back seat in the minds of most aspirants. The main preoccupation now is to turn their position into a cash cow—an entrenched culture in Nigerian mainstream politics.
Unfortunately, the politics of ethnic affiliation, which has become the order of the day in the campus political arena, has allowed this to thrive. The reorientation of students’ disposition towards public office is more than needed to stop this downward trend that has continued to gain ground in the campus. Students aspiring to contest for any position must understand that any elective position is held in trust for the students, and their welfare should come first at all times.
At the core of having leaders who can be entrusted to do right is having informed students. It is said that democracy thrives best where the majority of people are educated. The quality of people elected into various positions reflects the quality of the students. The age-long culture of bitterly criticising and defaming aspirants during elections can never bring about the right leaders. In order for the elected officials to be held accountable for their campaign promises, students must awaken their political consciousness and realise the power wielded in the electoral process, especially with technological enablers such as the online voting system being utilised in the campus election.
Student Governance in the University of Jos will improve and yield the desired results only when students get involved in deepening the conversations about decisions being made on their behalf by their elected representatives. As various associations prepare to head to the polls to elect those who will steer their affairs for the next session, Unijos Echo implores all stakeholders to abide by the rule book and reject all forms of electoral malpractice. The imprint they leave today, whether bad or good, will forever remain indelible in the annals which can mar or make them in the future.
