By AjÃbádé Abdullah Adéwálé (Ogbeni Pentalk)
Sequel to the release by the Electoral Committee of Linguistics and African Languages Students Association (LALSA) which included "Expensive amount of form fee", aspirants and concerned Linguistics students have Called for reduction.
The Electoral Committee in a release made available on Tuesday, August 31,2021 noted that Presidential Aspirants are to pay #5000, Vice president , General Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Social Director, Cultural Director Aspirants are to pay #4000 while The Assistant General Secretary, Public Relations Officer, Sport Director, Assistant Social Director Aspirants are to pay #3300. The Librarian Aspirants are to pay #2500, and Aspirants for Students Representative Council(SRC) are to pay #1000.
This development didn't sit well with Aspirants and Linguistics students as they called for reduction.
According to a Presidential Aspirant, Ojetola Ridwan, " The fact that I once served in the committee cannot make me to deny the fact that the LALSA Electoral Committee always puts a lot of things into consideration before pegging prices for forms and one of the factors mostly considered is having a back up budget to cater for a rerun of election in case unforseen challenges disturb or stop the electoral activities. Also, the increment in the prices of the election materials might have also been part of the things considered to arrive at such price but we want to sincerely appeal the committee to please bring down the prices a bit so that inability to raise money will not chastise the interests of some aspirants".
Meanwhile, Olawoye Kolamide, another presidential aspirant maintained that the amount placed on the purchase of the form is outrageous. "I am certain that there is a hidden agenda and a deep conspiracy on the part of every member of the EC" He said.
In his own reaction,Adeagbo Gabriel, an Aspirant for the position of Public Relations Officer, " The form amount is too much for me personally. we are going for these posts to serve our fellow students, not that we are to collect salary for what we will be working for".
He pleaded that the Electoral Committee should consider the aspirants and reduce the cost of form.
"They should please consider us as students, most of us are not working yet, we take from little that we have and sacrifice it for others, just because we want things to be in perfect way.
We all can't be leading at the same time, and think things we go easy, that's why we need someone to lead and we follow. someone who will now be leading should not as well be affected, so that he/she can offer us the best he/she has in him or her". He pointed.
Beatrice Awotide, An aspirant for Libarian also shared the same view with other aspirants.
"It is too much. We are trying to serve the department. If an election form is this expensive, people will plan embezzlement when they get into office.Embezzlement apart, I do not have up to 200 naira in my account at the moment. Mi o de le lo yawo ra form". She lamented.
Bababunmi boluwatife Hannah, an aspirant for financial Secretary and Abeeblah Abimo, An Aspirant for Director of Culture also called for the reduction of the form fee.
Ajibola Olayemi Ayomide, a part 3 student added that "I am against the amount because these people that are going for the post are not going their for their own selfish interest. they are going their to serve the department and they are not going to collect any amount for the service. It is a selfless service. I was once an executive and I know how things were done".
He suggested that the should committees should meet again and decide an affordable price for the form.
It could be recalled that the last Electoral Committee pegged the price for the post of the president at #3000, Vice president, General Secretary and Public Relation officer forms to #2700 each, while those for the office of the Financial Secretary, Treasurer were sold at #2400 each. Candidates interested in the posts of the Director of Culture and Director of Social for #2500. Aspirants for Librarian, #1800, Assistant General secretary and Assistant Director of Social form was #1500 each.
As at the time of filing this report, there has not been any reaction from the Electoral Committee.