DR. YOUNG: The Ball Is In Your Court

“One of the truest tests of INTEGRITY is its blunt refusal to be compromised.” –Chinua Achebe.

It gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest congratulations to you, my brother and friend, Oke Oluwaseun Isaac, DR YOUNG, on your recent election as the Chairman of the LAUTECH Electoral Commission. I hope it's not too late to congratulate you for the well-earned position. I must say I am really pleased to hear about this your recent political victory. I wish you the best and pray God will see you through in conducting a credible poll.

I have followed your political career for years; since 2011 you briefed me about your aspiration and vision for our Union. How you would love to be the President of our hitherto castrated Union in other to make it a virile body for it not to totally sink into the morass of a shattered and meaningless existence; that was even before you contested and eventually became the Financial Secretary of the Union.

Though you put your hat in the ring, you gave it your best shot, but all to nothing; you lost the election to the post of the President twice. And I had maintained that the fact you were not elected shouldn't change the significance of your heart, your desires, your passions, your intentions, or your dreams for our Union. It should merely change your plans. You may not have met your goal, but you should take more steps on the path to growth.

I maintained that losing the elections doesn't mean you were not qualified for that post; you might even be the round peg which fits for the hole. Losing the elections should not be the dead end to the plans you have for LADOKITES, the Changes and Differences you wished and wanted to make in the Union. And that you can still work for those things you planned for LADOKITES only from a new path. You can still make things happen! You'll just be working at it from a different angle.

You've held many posts of trust which required display of integrity, dedication, self-sacrifice, honesty and sense of purpose and direction. You were opportune to serve as the: Clerk of the Senate, Faculty Management and Accounting; President, National Association of Afijio Students (NAAS); President, Federation of Ilora Student's Union, (FISU); Coordinator, Students Integrity Group (SIG), LAUTECH; Financial Secretary, Lautech Student Union; to mention a few. You've also been appointed as member and director of various boards at the National Association of Nigerian Students.

The fact now is, the new task before you is no mean one. The office of the Chairman of any Electoral Commission is challenging. Apart from the fact that the office is challenging, it is also a thankless job. Only a few occupants have left such office with their reputation intact. Most Chairman of an Electoral Commission often leaves with their reputation dented.

This is the time for a true test of your reputation and integrity. Your reputation and integrity are everything, and considering where you're coming from, the reputation which took you a while to achieve, I would not wish you to have them tarnished. I wish to remind you that a lot of people will feel highly disappointed if you falter in principle, values or compromise standard come this Union election.

You'll have to rise above personal/political interest(s) or selfish desires of group(s) of people and deliver free, fair and credible election. You need a good measure of boldness, courage and strong-headedness to take the bull by the horns for you not to be easily caved under pressure and kowtow to unseen whims. Remember, your integrity is at stake here; you either make or mar it.

You are at the threshold of history. I'll urge you to kindly allow the meticulous recorder of man's actions and inactions- History- to write your name in history for GOOD and not otherwise. Remember an adage that says: “a good name is better silver and gold”. The stakes are higher and everyone will be watching. Those who believe in you would be watching, so is the rest of LADOKITES; they all would want to know if you will uphold the ideals you preached during your campaigns for Union President.

And the questions on everyone's lips would be: Will you rig this election for your own personal/political interest or you'll etch your name in GOLD? Will you be caved under pressure and kowtow to unseen whims? Will Ladokites commend or condemn you after conducting the election. Will you be commended for conducting a credible poll or condemned and consigned to the garbage head of electoral frauds? DR YOUNG, the ball is in your court.

Once again, I would like to offer you my most sincere congratulations. May the spirit of God, a spirit of wisdom and truth, accompany you in your new position and guide your work. I wish you every success in your new duties. Congratulations!

Oluwatomilola Boyinde, TOMINIGERIA, P.R.O, Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), LAUTECH. [email protected], @TomiNigeria, 08032434218, 2AF2EB9D.

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Articles by Oluwatomilola Boyinde