F: So far, how has being on the presidential seat been for you? What has it made out of you?
S: Being President of TLDS has taught me a lot about leadership, especially patience. I also learnt about responsibility. Before now, I used to feel like, ‘Oh, well, hmm, I’ll do what I have to do and then just wing things’ but, as President, there was no way I could ‘wing’ things. Everyone relied on me. Yes, I had other people that I worked with that helped out to do stuff, but I still had to be there. I had to turn up every single time. I had to drive things. And I’d never been in that kind of position before– I’d never led an organization, so to say. I’d never been President. For the first time, I had so much responsibility and so much that was solely dependent on me.
I think I grew tremendously. I became a better person. I learnt a lot about leadership and I made real friends. Yeah, it has made a whole lot out of me. Leading an organization like TLDS with a lot of dynamics and ‘trouble.’ I shouldn’t say that but it’s just a lot being President of TLDS and I’m grateful. I think we have had a good tenure.
F: You’d never been President before? Lumen Society nko?
S: I was Creative Director. It is a position very similar to being President as I was the head, but Lumen had a structure that put less burden on the head.
F: Oh. Okay. Beyond what being President has made out of you, what have you made out of being President? What have been your achievements so far?
S: As President, I have inspired major reforms in the Society, especially in the way Jaw War is done. We introduced a judges’ conference. We tried to reform how judges are being selected. We also tried to reform how topics are being selected. We are currently working on constitutional review. We tried to reform some of the modalities of Jaw War, especially in the way it is being organized. Also, I established the British Parliamentary Debate Club and tried to make it more official than it was before. There is a club captain (in person of Ejide Temitope). We met weekly before the strike started. I tried to ensure that we, at least, participated in one international event. I’ll reel out many other achievements when I’m handing over. Yes! I made friends out of being President– people I worked with.
F: Under your presidency, how would say the relationship of TLDS with constituent L & D societies has fared?
S: I would say the relationship between TLDS and constituent societies has been good. It’s been great with some constituencies and quite sour with other constituencies. Errrrmmm… That is no fault of TLDS or my leadership, I suppose, and I wouldn’t entirely blame those constituent societies. I think things like these just happen. Well, disagreements come into play all the time, but I personally made it a duty to build a better relationship with constituent LnDs. For example, we had this visitation series few weeks to Jaw War where members of the executive went to each LnD society to visit and encourage them. I think that was the first time in 5 years that would happen. So yeah, we made efforts to reach out to constituent LnDs and we ran an open administration– it was very easy to make complaints. We took every single complaint seriously. We may not have attended to some as much as they would have loved, but I believe that we attended to every complaint based on what was best for the society. So, in trying to create a balance between what a particular constituency wanted and what was best for the society, there were conflicts. Some LnD societies were not happy about it. But I believe that we did what was best for the Society as a whole and I have no regret about it.
F: Thank you. In this your tenure, have you had any friction with any member of your executives? You may be anonymous with their name/position but tell us about the nature(s) of the friction(s). Or were your executives perfect?
S: (laughs) Funnily, I have frictions with members of my executive every time. We had a tradition of meeting almost every week before the strike began. I fight with at least one person every week. I think it made us better. There hasn’t been any major friction– we usually fight over minor things. And we fight a whole lot, I must confess. They’re not perfect. I’m not perfect either. No one is perfect.
F: On a scale of 10, how would you rate Jaw War 2018? Did you think Jaw War got better in 2018 or got worse?
S: Eight. I think it definitely got better.
F: 8!😂😂😂 This one cannot even be humble or modest.😒
What do you think the next administration can do better with Jaw War?
S: A lot. I expect the next administration to consolidate on many of the reforms we’ve done. One major thing I would not like to see from the next administration is a complete reversal of the reforms we’ve done, especially the judges’ selection process and all we’ve done about that. I also expect that they do a lot of work on the logistics of Jaw War, particularly on getting a more suitable venue. We made tremendous progress this year with the new lecture theatre at the Faculty of Science. Very unfortunately– it was one of the biggest drawbacks in this administration– we were not able to get that venue, but I strongly believe that the next administration can get it. I also expect the next administration to leverage the close relationship we have with the school management. There is a whole lot (benefits) that we can get from the university management if we maintain a closer relationship with them. I expect a far better, tremendously better Jaw War this year (2019) than what we had last year because I believe the next administration can leverage many things in terms of strategic partnerships and other resources that we are leaving behind. Most importantly, I expect a more organized Jaw War, especially with regard to timing. That was one major drawback we also had last year. So, this year, I expect the coming administration to work more on making sure that Jaw War starts on time and that it’s a lot more organized, even if it means either spending more to stream outside and locking the doors at a point. We have to do something about the crowds and rowdiness of Jaw War.
F: What do you have to say on the inability of your faculty to defend in 2018 their win in 2017?
S: It’s unfortunate. They should do better next time. I think there’s a lot of talent in the Faculty and, like I’ve told them, there’s a lot they can do. It’s no fault of anyone exactly that they couldn’t defend last year. They will definitely do better. I expect so.
F: See how he’s using ‘they.’ 😂😂😂 Are you not part of them?
S: I won’t be there next year.
F: I was asking about their loss last year. You were a member last year.
S: Okay, you got me there.
F: 😂😂😂
When you were speaking the other time about how Jaw War could be improved on, I noticed you didn’t make any mention of the quality of speeches/debates. Don’t you think that should be worked on too? Or we’re where we need to be already?
S: I definitely agree that we need to improve on the quality of speeches but I honestly do not see it as the responsibility of the President or members of the executive of TLDS. I see it more as a collective responsibility of every debater/public speaker and the President of their constituency. I see the downward spiral of the quality of speeches as a challenge of our enlightenment culture in the university, generally. If you notice the trend in the university and in our society generally, there is a downward spiral of intellectual engagement. Journalism has dropped. Public speaking has dropped. Even academics, to an extent, has dropped. Errrmm… It is what it is. It is bad. I feel that we should take a broader approach in trying to change that. I don’t think there is anything the next TLDS administration can do about it.
F: You publicly proclaimed that, as TLDS President, you would not participate in Jaw War 2018. Before then, especially in the administration before yours, you were vocal against TLDS Presidents speaking in Jaw War mainly because, as you were then quoted to have said, the President is the one constitutionally empowered to resolve any conflict arising from any controversial result declared. What would you say about you going back on your word and vehement stance, and going ahead to speak as a representative of a constituency in TLDS, the Lord Tedder Hall L & D Society? Plus, do you think your answer is connected to why politicians (even at student level) renege ceaselessly on their promises?
S: Hmmmmm. I think it is wrong for politicians at any level to make promises and then renege on them. I think it is irresponsible not to be taken for your word.
Now, that said, I, indeed, made a statement that I did not intend to speak at Jaw War 2018. I honestly did not intend to. However, things happened. I’ve tried to explain myself at different platforms and I will, again. Errrmmm… What I did was wrong and I admit it. I admit that I went back on my word and, to a very large extent, it tainted my integrity. However, I do not regret it because it was a point when I had to make a hard decision between helping the society that literally formed me and– errmmm– my word. I should also state that, at the point I spoke, it was not unconstitutional for a TLDS President to speak at Jaw War. I tried to introduce a law as President that would bar TLDS Presidents from participating in Jaw War as a speaker but that law did not pass through the Senate and, because it did not pass, I had no excuse to not speak for my hall. Besides, I had pressures. But that is not to excuse the fact that what I did was irresponsible. If I had another opportunity to do this, what I would do differently would be to not have promised because I do not honestly regret that I represented my hall when I had to.
F: Good. Can you now apologize to the past Presidents that represented their constituencies and you spoke against? Can you do that here?
S: I only spoke against one President. That was the immediate past President, Miss Opeyemi Oluwaseun and I did not do that on any public platform. However, I do apologize to her.
F: Good of you. Take this 🍸
On being vocal, some people think you can be controversial, very confrontational and proud, what would you say to them?
S: I would say that it is very, very important to be courageous, brave and bold about whatever one believes in. People often mistake this for being proud, controversial and confrontational. And yes, I also know that it changes with age or experience—because with age come more knowledge and a lot more patience. So, I will not discourage anyone who is bold and courageous. I think it’s a great advantage of youthfulness. And if you strongly believe in something, you should go all out for it. However, with a lot of experience and knowledge come more patience and more understanding. It’s a beautiful trajectory that everyone goes through and I like to see it in everyone. So yeah, people will always call you confrontational and proud. It’s okay, really, as long as you know what you want and you’re ready to go for it.
F: In other words, you don’t really mind being seen in such lights?
S: No. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing good about being controversial. I don’t think I am controversial in any sense. But my point is, if you’re sure of yourself and what you’re fighting for, then it doesn’t matter what people call you, really. I mean, if I know that I am not doing what I am doing just for the sake of being controversial but because I have a course I am fighting for, and just to shut me down, you call me controversial and proud, then I really don’t care about you. Of course, I mean, I mind a little that you call me controversial, proud or rude but as long as that conflicts with my own ideals and beliefs, then I really don’t care about what those people’s opinions are.
F: In your sojourn in UI, you have been involved in a lot of activities, one of which is unionism/activism. As a unionist, what would say are your regrets so far? In the same vein, what have your blessings been so far?
S: As a unionist, I have no regret, so to say, except the fact that I’d be graduating without seeing our Union restored. Now, that’s not a regret; it’s just a disappointment. I have no regret. Blessings? Well, I would say, first of all, that the entire idea behind activism and unionism is that you live for others. So, I wouldn’t say I recorded any personal gains from activism. My blessings are in terms of friendships and knowledge. I got to learn more from people and leveraged many relationships. I learnt more about organizing. Many things that I will be taking with me to the outside world– outside the boundaries of the university– are things that I learnt while being an activist. A lot of negotiating skills and crowd controlling skills.
F: Do you belong to any activist organization or non-governmental organization? Or you do your things solo?
S: I do not belong to any at the moment. There is no such thing as doing things solo in activism. You need people– they are the soul of activism. However, I’m not in any group or organization currently because I’ve not seen one that fully captures my values. I’m still searching and I hope to commit myself to one organization or the other immediately I’m done with school.
F: Still as a unionist, a member of the patriotic intelligentsia to be precise, what do you think about the continued suspension of the Students’ Union, UI? What do you also think about the lock-up, by the school management, of the SU building that houses the offices of a number of legitimate, duly recognized student bodies like the Junior Chamber International, Nigeria (UI chapter) and the Union of Campus Journalists, UI, which have little or nothing to do with the Students’ Union?
S: I think the continued suspension of the Students’ Union and the lock-up of the Students’ Union building implies that the university management is not tolerant of dissent and that they are not interested in helping to build the future that we deserve in this country. I think that members of the university management do not understand the concepts of democracy, good governance and civil rights. I believe that this contributes to why Nigeria is as horrible as it is today. It’s unfortunate.
I’m not particularly sympathetic to JCI or UCJ. However, I do think that they have a legitimate claim to their offices and the university management is just being silly, really. Trying to prevent them from entering their offices doesn’t make sense. Our country is messed up. Our society is messed up. And UI just reflects that mess.
F: When you were speaking earlier, you said you intend that the next administration would leverage the relationship you have built with the school management. I assume this means you have a good relationship with the school management. How have you been able to leverage your relationship with the school management to advocate for the restoration of the Union?
S: I do not have a personal relationship with the university management. The Literary and Debating Society does, and I just happen to be the President who helps to put a face to the Society. Inspite of that, I have tried to say my bit whenever anything about the Students’ Union comes up. Now, the truth about the university management and their attitude is this: They realized that students are also important and that they need to show that they are pro-students, so to say. I would argue that everything they’ve done for The Literary and Debating Society is not exactly special. Errrrmmm… These are responsibilities that the university should take on ideally without any coercion. But like I said, we’re in a messed up society, so we have to lobby for these things. And yes, I’m happy that we were able to get certain things done for us by the university management. However, it does not, in any way, make the members of the university management saints. Neither does it absolve them of any blame for the continued clamp down on civil rights on campus. What they do is try to help organizations like TLDS, you know, and make it seem like, ‘Oh, see, we’re trying our best; it’s just your Students’ Union that is bad.’ But that is not true and we know better. I’ve not exactly been able to leverage my position because it’s not in my place to speak on behalf of the Union. Most of my dealings with the university management have been through our staff adviser, Dr. Demola Lewis, who is very much interested in the Students’ Union and has been advocating for her. However, you see, there is little or nothing anyone can do to lobby or advocate for the Students’ Union. It is what it is.
F: You are currently one of the most popular UItes. How has handling the fame been for you?
S: I think it is deceitful. I think university fame is one of the biggest frauds that we have because, in reality, we’re all nothing. Once we leave this school, we’re back to zero. But whatever you are in the university makes you feel like you’re some god. So I constantly have to remind myself that, at the end of the day, we’re all students and, once we get out of the university, we’ll go and hustle at the labor market. Nobody cares how popular you were in the university; what matters is what opportunities you can leverage. I really try not to let it get into my head. I constantly remind myself that, as students, we’re all primarily here for academics and to get the best out of the system and leverage what we can outside.
F: It’s not me and you that will be back to zero.😒
On hustling in the labor market, do you regard yourself as an entrepreneur?
S: Yes, I do. I have a startup I’m trying to build… Facts Count.
F: What’s Fact Count about? Because I’m nice, I’ll let you do advert for free.😒
S: Thank you. At Facts Count, we organize opinion polls and surveys on various socio-political and economic issues. We also help final-year students and academic researchers to get respondents for their questionnaires and upload their questionnaires online. Now, there are usually these notions that Nigeria is weak/low on data and that we rarely have people constantly ready to fill surveys. At Fact Counts, we have a pool of registered respondents– a growing pool (currently about 700) and we intend to grow it to about 5,000 before the end of the year. What we do is give them incentives to fill various surveys and opinion polls as it relates to them. To check out the website, click here.
F: Do you think you sacrificed your academics for endeavours such as unionism and public speaking? If yes, do you think it was worth it?
S: Extracurricular or co-curricular activities do not, in any way, deter academic progress or success. In fact, they have shown to help academic success because the little time you have to study, you study hard. There are examples of several people who were involved in unionism and other activities, and at the same time, were on top in their academics. We have Alayande Ayantola Maximus, who was the best graduating student of his department even though he served as the Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union. I think it’s a misgiving from my end. I could have done better with my academics; I don’t think it was because of my academics. I was just an unserious student.
F: What does success mean to you? How about purposeful leadership?
S: Success, to me, means fulfilling God’s purpose and staying in line with God’s plan for your life. You can interpret that in diverse ways but that’s success to me. I think purposeful leadership is very important. It’s about having a clear vision and being able to inspire people to follow through with it. This is why I dislike leaders like Donald Trump, who are arguably reactive. I think all leaders should be purposeful, should have a clear-cut vision and should be able to communicate that to their followers. They should be able to inspire their followers to follow through with their vision.
F: What do you plan to do with your course of study? Lecturing? Government work?
S: I plan to work in a place where I can help draft food and nutrition policies and also help with health policy advocacy. Perhaps with the Federal Government or any Non-Governmental Organization in that line like the World Health Organization.
F: How far do you want to go with Facts Count?
S: I hope to make it sustainable and hopefully something I can retire to.
F: In your public speaking sojourn so far, have you had any public speaking crush, especially within the school? Have you had any public speaking rival?
S: Yeah, I’ve had a public speaking crush — several crushes, actually. Errrrmmm… Errrr… I don’t think I’ve had a rival. Maybe I’ve imagined some rivals in my mind, but I can’t exactly say, ‘This person is my rival.’ The public speaking world is more like a family. You don’t expect me to mention my crushes, right?
F: 😂😂😂
I do expect you to o. Plus, the rivals you imagined you had in the past, who were they?
S: Chai.
F: Don’t cry.😂
S: Errrr… Okay… Oh my God! This is… not nice. Okay… Errrmmm… Crush: Seyi Awojulugbe. Yeah, just her, because she’s no longer on campus and the names of those on campus, if I mention them, many people won’t know them. Rival. I should say that the guys I call rivals are actually people who I just really look forward to debating and beating because I believe that they are really good and that debating them would also raise my standard. Number one person I would call my rival… Errrmmm… (Clears throat) or better put, someone I would really love to debate is…
fantbabs 
An interesting interview👌. Quite comprehensive too.
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Lol. Thank you so much, Aity!
I’m grateful! It will be less comprehensive next time. 😂
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