Open letter to Lauretta Obakpolo: Uniben SUG president-by Victor Obagidi.
Dear president Lauretta,
I must confess that my joy knows no bound as I pick up my virtual pen to write this message owing to your Davidic victory over your golliats in the Students Union Government election of the University of Benin. I use to doubt the saying that "What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" until you made the whole University of Benin students leave their mouth ajared as so many are yet to believe that the destiny of the Student Union Government of this great citadel of learning for the next one year has been given to a lady. Frankly speaking, so many people believe that giving a leadership baton to a menstruating woman is a taboo but little did they know that leadership is not gender sensitive but ruler-ship is. Thank God for your victory.
I really have so much to say but for the benefit of time and energy to read, I will do this as quickly as possible.
First and foremost, I want you to remember the plans you had for the students of University of Benin while you were running for this position. I am sure you know that you promised the students some things as stated in your manifesto and this in one way or the other changed the mind of some students who wouldn't vote for you under normal circumstances. This means that your success or failure in office is not based on the things you didn't promise to do and was able to do but it will be judged based on the things you promised to do that you didn't do. This is one thing I will want you to take seriously as am sure so many people in and outside the university of Benin are looking at you and waiting to see what President Lauretta will make out of the Student Union Government. Therefore, I want to plead with you to hold next to your Bible, your manifesto and let it serve as your daily manna that should guide you on what to do and what not to do. Let it be your memory verse. Carry it anywhere you go, say it to yourself every time and ensure you tick your progress in achieving what you have written on paper.
Having reminded you of your promises as an aspirant, it is important that I further suggest what I think would be necessary for you to fulfill your promises. On this note, I want to advise that you have a working team who are interested in helping you achieve your stated goals. This team should involve students that are capable of pursuing nothing less than excellence without pride or prejudice. I am not unaware that of cause there are people who campaigned for you and ensured your victory and they might in turn want to head a particular committee or the other not for any other reason but as a compensation for the great work they did during your campaign. However, if the truth is to be told, I am left at this point with no option than to make you know that the fact that someone campaigned for you does not guarantee him/her a position if your administration must produce result. You have to look beyond favour and use people who have the required skills to implement what you have on paper either they voted for you or not. Am I trying to say you should abandon those who worked for your victory? No! Am only trying to emphasize on what I am sure an administration that wants to produce result should do.
In addition to this, I'll also like to point your attention to the importance of you being diplomatic in whatever you do as the major reason for you being in office is not to fight the system or the government but to impact positively in the lives of UNIBEN students. Therefore, I plead with you to ensure you do your consultations properly before your confrontation as it will also aid your decision making.
Furthermore, I also would like you to pay attention to the voices of those you are representing. That is, the University of Benin students. Yes, I know you might be very busy considering the number of meetings you'll have to attend and the academic loads from the school of Pharmacy. But, I still wouldn't want you to neglect the students plights. Please, take your time to visit the hostels of residence at least once in a month to ask the students what their challenges are and figure out how you can help ameliorate their burdens. This will not only make the "IMPACT 16'' attainable but will also bridge the gap between the students and their invisible voices which happens to be you.
Finally, I must not fail to say a big congratulations for the new leadership baton that has been given to you to handle. I know it's not going to be an easy task, but I believe so much in your ability to change the course of history and make your critics adopt your school of thought that leadership is not a thing of gender but a function of delivery bearing in mind that the example you leave has a lot of message to pass to millions of ladies out there who are still living in the mediocrity of being enslaved as a follower. I am confident of your usual saying that "you bear the plight of a woman and you understand the pains of a man" and I would appreciate if you help in making things better for both the male and the female to the glory of God.
On this note, I pray for the strength to carry on, the wisdom, knowledge, understanding and above all common sense from above to make the right decisions and do the right thing in office. God bless you, God bless the Student Union Government, God bless Edo state and God bless Nigeria.
Yours faithfully;
Victor Obagidi, O.
I must confess that my joy knows no bound as I pick up my virtual pen to write this message owing to your Davidic victory over your golliats in the Students Union Government election of the University of Benin. I use to doubt the saying that "What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" until you made the whole University of Benin students leave their mouth ajared as so many are yet to believe that the destiny of the Student Union Government of this great citadel of learning for the next one year has been given to a lady. Frankly speaking, so many people believe that giving a leadership baton to a menstruating woman is a taboo but little did they know that leadership is not gender sensitive but ruler-ship is. Thank God for your victory.
I really have so much to say but for the benefit of time and energy to read, I will do this as quickly as possible.
First and foremost, I want you to remember the plans you had for the students of University of Benin while you were running for this position. I am sure you know that you promised the students some things as stated in your manifesto and this in one way or the other changed the mind of some students who wouldn't vote for you under normal circumstances. This means that your success or failure in office is not based on the things you didn't promise to do and was able to do but it will be judged based on the things you promised to do that you didn't do. This is one thing I will want you to take seriously as am sure so many people in and outside the university of Benin are looking at you and waiting to see what President Lauretta will make out of the Student Union Government. Therefore, I want to plead with you to hold next to your Bible, your manifesto and let it serve as your daily manna that should guide you on what to do and what not to do. Let it be your memory verse. Carry it anywhere you go, say it to yourself every time and ensure you tick your progress in achieving what you have written on paper.
Having reminded you of your promises as an aspirant, it is important that I further suggest what I think would be necessary for you to fulfill your promises. On this note, I want to advise that you have a working team who are interested in helping you achieve your stated goals. This team should involve students that are capable of pursuing nothing less than excellence without pride or prejudice. I am not unaware that of cause there are people who campaigned for you and ensured your victory and they might in turn want to head a particular committee or the other not for any other reason but as a compensation for the great work they did during your campaign. However, if the truth is to be told, I am left at this point with no option than to make you know that the fact that someone campaigned for you does not guarantee him/her a position if your administration must produce result. You have to look beyond favour and use people who have the required skills to implement what you have on paper either they voted for you or not. Am I trying to say you should abandon those who worked for your victory? No! Am only trying to emphasize on what I am sure an administration that wants to produce result should do.
In addition to this, I'll also like to point your attention to the importance of you being diplomatic in whatever you do as the major reason for you being in office is not to fight the system or the government but to impact positively in the lives of UNIBEN students. Therefore, I plead with you to ensure you do your consultations properly before your confrontation as it will also aid your decision making.
Furthermore, I also would like you to pay attention to the voices of those you are representing. That is, the University of Benin students. Yes, I know you might be very busy considering the number of meetings you'll have to attend and the academic loads from the school of Pharmacy. But, I still wouldn't want you to neglect the students plights. Please, take your time to visit the hostels of residence at least once in a month to ask the students what their challenges are and figure out how you can help ameliorate their burdens. This will not only make the "IMPACT 16'' attainable but will also bridge the gap between the students and their invisible voices which happens to be you.
Finally, I must not fail to say a big congratulations for the new leadership baton that has been given to you to handle. I know it's not going to be an easy task, but I believe so much in your ability to change the course of history and make your critics adopt your school of thought that leadership is not a thing of gender but a function of delivery bearing in mind that the example you leave has a lot of message to pass to millions of ladies out there who are still living in the mediocrity of being enslaved as a follower. I am confident of your usual saying that "you bear the plight of a woman and you understand the pains of a man" and I would appreciate if you help in making things better for both the male and the female to the glory of God.
On this note, I pray for the strength to carry on, the wisdom, knowledge, understanding and above all common sense from above to make the right decisions and do the right thing in office. God bless you, God bless the Student Union Government, God bless Edo state and God bless Nigeria.
Yours faithfully;
Victor Obagidi, O.
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