It was a day of commotion in the 400level class, faculty of Law on Monday 25th April, 2016 as news emerged of an alleged statement by the LAWSA President, Garrick Nosa John, labelling the 400level class (aka Bench of Jurists) as 'useless'.
Olawale registered his displeasure at the alleged statement saying it is capable of polarising the faculty and stated that he had put up an article to that effect which was on the faculty notice board.
ULP was able to get reactions from some of the classmates who spoke on record...
Edmond Otabor
Well, it is outrageous and it does not fit into the uniform of the LAWSA President, for we to expect such a statement. I am outrightly saying this right now because as a LAWSA President, you wear the uniform of the faculty, you are supposed to filter your statements and not supposed to say somethings. You are like the father of the faculty. Making such a statement is outrageous, and an action will bring an equal reaction. So when you say something like this, what else do you expect at the end of the day, another reaction of course. Faculty of Law 400level is not useless. We are made up of brilliant, vibrant, amiable and wonderful students that will in due time turn out to be prominent and important people in this country.
Odiri Igho
He should not have said that. He is a public figure and public figures do not insult people in public. For me, he should come and tender a public apology, explain himself and let us understand his position and what led to that statement. We would like to know.
Daniel Eromosele
How will 500level say the SUG elections does not concern them at all? I am really angry. See, you cannot carry faculty problem and failure and put it upon one class. That's my issue now. Whether he said or did not say we are useless is not my concern, you saying that 400level was the cause is what I am angry at. And they saying that it does not concern them, that is the impression they are giving these people and the impetus they are giving to 300level to talk anyhow. It does not make sense. They will leave here now and this division will still be here.
Joseph Asikpata Ikhide
For me, I feel the statement by the LAWSA President was ill timed for one. It definitely states his level of maturity which is very very low. I never expected that such words would come out from him. I hold him in high esteem, but I do not think that is the state of things presently. And definitely an apology will not suffice for the atrocious things he has said because of the loss of the 300level aspirant for the office of Director of Finance, Israel Olumese. The whole faculty tried, but I think they would have done better if LAWSA had rallied the whole faculty to go out and vote for him. I think would be SUG aspirants should take a cue from this and solicit for better support from the faculty.
Agbowo Joseph
Well I have heard of the alleged statement that we are useless. I do not know how a class that has shown some level of maturity and unity in the faculty of law is useless. I admit that the faculty recorded failure in the just concluded SUG elections, but then it is not a good reason to label us a failure. Many persons before now failed, and last year the same class that is now being labelled useless came out en masse and delivered Ndueche and co. So how come all of a sudden we have just become failure. Well if we are talking about what happened in the faculty of law this year, the failure should be aggregated. It is a cumulative error, coming from different constituencies. So I would really not stop my eyebrows from going up if someone says 400level constituency is a failure. In all ramifications 400level has made a statement, we are not failures or useless in anyway at all.
Mark Okhakhume
Anyway it has not been confirmed that he said it actually, even though the sources that confirmed him making the statement are credible and the class rep must have confirmed that statement before coming out to make that claim. I would not make my statement on the premise that he said it, my statement would be based on "let's assume he said it". If indeed he did make that statement, then it would be demeaning for his office because as the President you should not make such a statement. It is tantamount to Buhari saying that the Yoruba people are useless. The whole faculty lost, not just a class. The 500level did not come out to vote, I know how many I saw there when I went to vote. So the loss was generally for the faculty and not the 300level constituency alone. Eke Martins is in our class and he lost, we did not die. Did we say his class did not come out to vote? Did we die? Anybody can insult anybody, it happens. But my bone of contention is, if he did say it, it should not have come from him, seeing that he is the President of the faculty. He should have being the one to mitigate whatever tension would arise from the election not to create it. So if he did say it, he should come to class and apologise to the whole class and make them understand that he said it in the heat of passion and he's sorry. There are men older than him in that class!
However, some others were of the view that even if Garrick made the statement, the Class rep should have taken into consideration the situation of things due to the SUG and not announced the news to the class in that matter. They said that there were diplomatic methods that would have being employed in tackling the issue rather than announcing it publicly.
According to ULP sources, Garrick called the 400level class "useless", alleging that there was a low turnout of voters from the class in the SUG elections which led to Israel Olumese, the Director of Finance aspirant, losing with a small margin of 32 votes.
While the President could not be reached in person to get his own side of the story, sources close to the President intimated ULP that he has denied ever making such statement.
Lawsans have their fingers crossed to see how the drama further unfolds.
Report by Josh.
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