TEAM G2G meets ISOWO (UNILORIN STUDENT UNION PRESIDENT)

WHEN YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENTAL LEADER, YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE AN ACHIEVER - ISHOWO

TEAM G2G meets ISOWO (UNILORIN STUDENT UNION PRESIDENT)

 CAN WE MEET YOU?

Name: - AHMED ISHOWO YAKUB.

MATH DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES

HOW DO YOU FEEL AS THE NUMBER ONE STUDENT OF UNILORIN?

There is no special feeling. I contested and I knew if I emerge I will be called the name MR PRESIDENT

WHAT POST WHERE YOU HOLDING BEFORE YOU EMERGE AS THE SUG PRESIDENT?

I was once a senate member of my faculty and a member of the house committee on academics and the formal clerk of the senate council (the first clerk of the senate that is a first timer) of the student union before I resigned and re – contested as the president of the student union.

YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?

I went to Pakata Primary school then Ansaru Islam School Ilorin. Back in secondary school  I was the Senior Prefect. After that, I went to Kwara State Polytechnic to study Civil engineering at ND level. Then, I applied into the University of Ilorin to study Mathematics.

WHY DO YOU LIKE WEARING NATIVE?

I started wearing native in my 100 level because I had it in mind to be the SUG president, so I had to bring up something that I will be known for. Wearing of native has brought me a lot particularly during election period, people voted for me because I was the only aspirant on native (with cap and sunglasses).

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2014/2015 AS THE SUG PRESIDENT?

When I was contesting, I contested with four point agenda. The first agenda is WELFARE. Welfare of students in the university is water and electricity. Our electricity supply in the university over – shadows all the universities in the country. The electricity supply on campus is commendable.

The second agenda which I campaigned is the “student – security relationship”. I took this as part of my agenda because students do complain about security harassment. We are looking into this problem because there is need for re – commandment of relationship between the students and the security. The relationship will be amended in such a way that there will be a FRIENDLY FORUM”. The forum will not be to fight neither for it to condemn their actions but to amend the relationship.

My third agenda is concerning the issue of “hostels”. To our observation the available hostel in the University of Ilorin is not encouraging. But the university is short of lecture theatres. When priorities are been laid down, the most important task is the construction of lectures theatres that the university has already started with. The building of lecture theatres is primary while the building of hostels is secondary, and primary issues are always respected than the secondary issues. So for the university, providing hostels and neglecting the issue of lecture theatres, then the university will produce quack graduate because the lecture areas are not conducive. Between the last administration and the present administration six lecture theatres had already been commissioned.

In the absence of hostels, the university has encouraged private investors to come on board. Although, it might be expensive but some students are taking them and this has really reduced the problem of accommodation. I am proud to tell you that at the student Union level, we are trying to put something down that even if it can’t be completed in my administration, I will be there to commission it. It's an approved project of 75 rooms (self contain), four students in a room which is equivalent to 300 bed spaces.

The last agenda is on “TRANSPORTATION”. Unilorin is a peculiar university that the location is far to the main gate. The transportation system in school has improved because the authority has provided more buses to work this session.

At the student Union level, we brought in two buses (the yellow painted buses). Apart from this we met with one transportation company named “THE WILL” and the student has started boarding them. There is no amount of buses that can be provided that will satisfy the student, because the student population is much.

In every administration, you can add and remove agendas. In this my administration, we have been able to improve on the general 300L course GSE 301, an entrepreneurial course with the use of physical skills. So the SUG has provided a centre for the student called "Student Union Vocational Centre” which is situated in the Student Union Building.

I am so delighted to tell you that we are the first SUG in the whole country to have a vocational centre. Inside the SUVC (Student Union Vocational Centre). It is partitioned into three parts. We have saloon, tailoring and bag making, the vocation centre is not just there, but it will serve two purposes. Firstly, our students will be certified and they will be empowered.

So many programmes has been introduced for the very first time, we are introducing Miss UNILORIN and a community based programme that will be of great impact from the university to the community.

                                                                                         

COURTESY - GRASS TO GRACE ENTERTAINMENT

COURTESY - GRASS TO GRACE ENTERTAINMENT

DO YOU HAVE ANY POLITICAL AMBITION AFTER LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY?

I can’t really answer that for now because I have a very strong passion for education. So, if at all I will be into politics, it will be academic politics. But politics is my second wife.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FEMALE ISSUES?

*Smiles* If you are contesting for any office, the first set of people you will use for your campaign should be ladies, because ladies know how to convince people. If you convince a lady, then a lady will convince ten men. I have been very close with ladies since my 100l days. The people I used for my campaign were ladies and I tagged them the “respected one” and I was the only guy in the group. Everybody that contributed to your success will want to have a stake in your administration and this can cause palaver. One certain thing is that, it’s not possible to satisfy everybody but if you emerge a success, your enemies will become your friends.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR VISION STATEMENT?

Always aspire to acquire the desire you admirer, when you fire and it backfires, don’t retire, you have to re – fire for you to acquire the desire you admire. Sometimes you fail in the cause of the fight but when you try something and you didn’t get it doesn’t mean you can’t get it. You just keep on trying. You will definitely face so many set back as a leader, but you have to continue climbing.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

I love listening to political gist because I am a tv analyst. So it Assists me when I want to refer to past events.

WHAT ARE YOUR ADVISES TO THE NEXT SUG PRESIDENT AND THE REQUIRED GP?

My advice is that the passion in such person should be from 100L because if you pick up the ambition along the line it will affect the person academically because once you emerge as one of the Union leaders, Union will take a straw and suck out of your GP. You can’t contest unless you have 3.5 as GP which is 2.1. So, if anything will happen, such person will drop to 2.2 and 2.2 in the University of Ilorin is equivalent to first class in some schools. My advice is, by now the person should be preparing so that he will not be an accidental leader.

WHAT ARE YOUR ADVISES TO THE STUDENTS?

Firstly, the students should see the student Union activities as their own activities. For continuous peaceful campus, we have to shun all kind of misconduct ranging from examination malpractices, cultism, and anything. University of Ilorin is a university that award and reward excellent performance. The students should try to get high and reasonable GP

GOD BLESS NIGERIA, GOD BLESS UNILORIN

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