I'm Ready For SRC's Chairmanship - Uwala Samson (HND 1 Governor)

   

   

   An exclusive interview with Samson Uwala, the Governor of Higher National Diploma 1.

It’s nice to have you here with us sir, please tell us who you are.

Thank you, my name is Uwala Samson, I am the Governor of the HND 1. I am also the vice chairman of the Students’ Representative Council of this institute.

You are in HND 1; I thought they are divided into print and broadcast?

No, when we get into HND 2 that’s when we will be divided into print or broadcast.

As you already know, you are the Governor of the HND 1 class, when you get to HND 2 and you are still the Governor, it is something that has been a tradition, you become the Chairman for the SRC.  Sir, are you ready to take up the job?

Yes, I am ready to become the SRC Chairman when I eventually get into HND 2. Because I value the position of leadership very well, so for the opportunity that I am there, I should be able to do my part.

If you eventually get there, what are your plans to making your tenure worthwhile?

For now, I am not sure of what I am going to do when I eventually become the SRC's Chairman or as the HND 2 governor because I am yet to be done with my position now as the Governor of the HND 1.

Are you talking about having issues?

No, it’s not about having issues, but we should try to finish one before moving into another because situations might change and it may become too cumbersome for you as a leader. So you should try to finish one part before you jump into another.

Sir, does that mean you don’t have plans when you become the SRC's Chairman?

It’s not that I don’t have plans for the SRC's Chairmanship. I am the vice Chairman as at now, which is one of the reasons I was chosen to become the SRC's vice chairman, so I can follow the trend of what they are doing. So when I become the Chairman, it won’t be a difficult task for me. I have been monitoring what has been going on. One of the Campus Focus stories that was last published, I was with them.

What post are you holding under Campus Focus?

I am just a reporter for them, but I am working towards effective and….

You are presently the Vice Chairman of the SRC, what have you been able to contribute positively to the council?

Thank you very much for that question. As the vice Chairman of the SRC, I have not done much but according to the small contributions, we are making headway.

What are the little things you have made?

Before I got lost online, everything pertaining to meetings, gathering people, I have been in charge towards making awareness. So also I and the chairman have been able to work hand in hand which has been great even before the meetings for the students’ week preparations channeling greatness to the students.

What plans do you have to improve on this present SRC when you finally become the chairman?

I will try my best towards having a good relationship with the students and the management. There was a time when the SRC went to the management to plead for the students towards allowing them to write exams. The management hearkened to our request and also, the management extended the deadline for the payment of school fees. That is one of the achievements of the SRC of this institute. So, when I get there, I would be able to do more. But we need to know what the students will be facing in general.

There is a saying that “he who fails to plan, plans to fail”. Are you saying that you are well prepared to challenge the task?

Yes, I have been preparing well to take up the SRC's Chairmanship.

 Reputation-wise, performance-wise and in academics, are you fit?

One of my lecturers said that you don’t have to be brilliant to lead or take up respectable positions. It is not until you are able to ace your exams and that means you are a leader or being able to run for governorship. There are people that ace their exams and can’t perform. I am not saying that I am a dunce and I can’t say that I don’t know what I am doing. It is all about being active and efficient and highly experienced so that old students and freshers will feel the impact.

As of now, your rapport with the school management is not a healthy one judging from the fact that they was an allegation before the commencement of an exam that you are a tout by a staff. What is your view about this?

I am not a tout. I am not a bad person. If you know a person’s personality, you should know what they can do and not do

Are you saying that people should not define who you are?

People can define who I am but that does not mean I am in alignment with their judgments upon me. This is based on my disagreement with what people are doing. For instance, if you are doing something that is not good, do you expect me to agree with you? No! In class, someone does not come to class and you expect me to allow you sign for him. They will read meanings to it and then hate you. For me, I stand for positivity and I don’t expect people to like me. People, especially Nigerians like lies which is my own personal beliefs. I am not saying he should not have the right and the reason he said so was because I came late into the exam hall. In the student handbook, if you go through it well, especially the examination part, where is it stated there that students should come one hour before the commencement of the exam. The real time is thirty minutes and I have always been in school before thirty minutes before the exam. He was only concerned because I entered the hall late.

Why do you enter the hall late always?

I enter the hall late because I live in a very far place and also when I am in school thirty minutes before the exam and they call to inform everyone that exam is about to start, I can’t be struggling with people on the queue. Some people are there before me and I can’t just cheat because I am a governor and go inside before them. Some people don’t understand things and when you don’t understand, you ask! Don’t just judge with your own perception.

It is the school duty to check examination pass of students before entering to sit for the exams so that they prevent fraudulence. Will you say that the school is not fast or effective enough when it comes to this? Is it that you are blaming the school for your lateness?

Like I said before, I always come thirty minutes before the exam and the law in the students’ handbook says students should be present thirty minutes before the exam and not before the commencement of the exam. In as much as I am on the queue and exams have not started. I should be able to enter. So, I am not guilty of anything. Concerning what you asked, the school has been doing their best in checking students’ exam pass in order to prevent fraud.

The normal expectation from students under you as a leader is for you to be able to surpass others in academics, attitude and in approaching people, have you been able to work excellently well on these regards?

No man is hundred percent perfect, only God is perfect. That’s why I said it earlier that everybody has his own personality. That I am doing like this before doesn’t mean I should throw it away because I am a governor, No! Concerning your question, I have been doing my best to excel in my academics and in dealing with others.

We heard from an unreliable source that you were made the governor  because the students wanted someone they can control, that they can manipulate to do their will, Is this allegation true or false?

Let’s say you are a governor, will you allow people to control you? Though, I am there for them and at the same time, we have the sports director, social director, deputy governor and you. We must be able to come together to devise strategies and make analysis in order to make things work concerning the togetherness of the student not that the student will be the one telling what to do. I am not a kind of person people can control so now that am a leader, why should I now allow people to be controlling me? So I say the allegation is wrong.

How do you intend to correct your image especially to the students who now have the perception that you are a tout?

Concerning the allegation, I will divide the question into two. I will try my best to wash myself off concerning the allegation by behaving in a way that is reasonable to the student and also maintaining my standard by performing my duty as a leader in order to earn respect. Another thing is that when the person made those allegations against me in the hall, though I was not there, I only heard it later. Now there were some students, some from ND 1 full-time or part-time that don’t even know me so even when they see me, what they heard is what they will use to judge me without even knowing who I am.  I live at Fagba, the inner part of Fagba and before I get to the road, I will take bike and when I get to the road, I take Bus and also when I am coming to Ogba, I will always be stucked in traffic. So, what I am saying is that we should try to understand people.

Being a potential SRC's Chairman, It is obvious that there will be critics, pressures and disagreements. Tell us how you intend to cope with these problems especially when we look at the fact that you were involved in a fight during the 2016/2017 Matriculation which had the provost, lecturers, parents, students and other dignitaries in attendance?

I have said it earlier that we finish a part before going to another. My Boss is still there as the SRC Chairman, let him finish his own before he can possibly hand over to me, then I will be able to take the steps on what to do next.

Concerning the issue of fighting during matriculation, now, I wouldn’t say I really fought. I didn’t. I only went to the guy and asked him why he switched off the engine; he was the one that turned it into a fight. I didn’t go to him to challenge him but just to ask why because we usually relate well, we talk a lot even before the matriculation, and he is like a brother to me.

Are you having a good rapport with the person now?

Yes, we are now friends, we do talk.

What will you like to tell the students coming behind you?

My advice to my junior colleagues is that they should focus on their academics and always remember what they are in school to do. This is a Journalism school whereby things we do will be projected to the public so we should make sure that everything we are doing is in good terms and good order.

That’s all we have for you, sir. We really appreciate you sparing your time.

It’s a pleasure.