INSIDE UDUS: Recent African Plight Hits Students' Union Representatives, A Sad Tale to Be Known

Danfodiyo Varsity (UDUS)

By Biliaminu Manne

It is no longer news that many African countries are currently in the trenches of breaking grounds, recording a series of coups for the chronicles of next-generation and historical students to lean on. 

Though it is not a novel thing, from 2019 to 2023, Africa has the records of 10 coups with the recent coup at Gabon, if successful.

However, not to delve into the happenings of the African continent, the recent African plights reached the recently elected Students' Union of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, which will raise the record to eleven (11) coups in Africa, though this 11th is not by military, it is by the management of the varsity.

Why Suspension

It is an irrefutable fact that the Danfodites had been waiting anxiously for a democratic era after the long reign of the Caretaker Committee. Not too long ago, the dream came to reality when the university management released a circular on the code and conduct of the new electioneering process. Joy, happiness, and good smiles were seen all over the faces of Danfodites with the hope that as the new government is ushered in, their voices will be heard as to the welfarism of every living soul on the soil of UDUS. However it comes as a surprise to everyone as there was unopposed capacity of the key position of the Union before the election. This called for suspicion, isn't it?

Well, fast-forward to the swearing-in of all the officials, they all took an oath to protect, defend, and promote accountability for the betterment of Danfodites but all these seem to be a promise with no effect. 

Recently Danfodites witnessed the most displeasing records of mismanagement by those whom we put our trust into. Why did they fail to keep their promises?

Imagine the tale of the mismanagement of records within a limited number of weeks without proper reason for its usage. But the question asked above is very rhetoric, therefore leaving no one to answer it.

A Tale To Be Known: UDUS Management Dissolved Elected SU, SRA Members, Appoints Caretaker Committee

List of Caretaker Committee 

On Friday, 1st September, 2023, a memorandum roamed around the media pages of UDUS Press outlets and the Social media pages of Danfodites about the dissolving of SU Executives and the SRA Members, after being in office for service of (2) two and a half months, which was tagged as Sanusi led-administration, then, but now it becomes history on Danfodiyo community.

The management of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has announced the dissolving of the 2022/23 elected Students' Union executives and Students' Representatives Assembly members in a memo signed by the Dean of Students' Affairs, Prof Umar Aliyu. 

Recall that before the ending of the just concluded first semester of the 2022/2023 Academic Session, on the second sitting of the SRA, led by Ahmed Muhammed had suspended the President of the SU, Lukman Sanusi, and some of his executives, due to lack of transparency in the administration.

Due to some factors that are yet to be disclosed, the Students' Union and SRA members are been denounced dissolved by the management and thereby replaced by a caretaker committee with immediate effect. 

The memo reads “Sequel to the memo dated 28th August, 2023 released by the University management dissolving the Students' Union Executives alongside Students' Representative Assembly (SRA) members and subsequent directives from the Deanary to constitute a Caretaker Committee; the following are hereby appointed to serve in the constituted Students' Union Caretaker Committee” 

In the memorandum, Abdullahi Sanusi has been appointed as the chairman of the caretaker committee and Mubarak Ibrahim Muhammad as the Vice Chairman I, followed by Fauziyya Bashir Shuaibu as the Vice Chairman II, Aminu Muhammad Ahmad as Food Director, Akande Fatai Ayomide as the Social Director, Salihu Umar Sulaiman as the Welfare Director, Adewuyi Ganiyat Taiwo as the Treasurer, Umar Abdullahi Danjuma_ the Director of Sports, Ogwuche Abraham Oche_ the Director of Protocol, AbdulRauf Abdullahi Opeyemi as the P.R.O, Abubakar Sanusi as the Asst. Sec. General, and Muhammad Mansur Abubakar as the Secretary General of the Caretaker Committee. 

“The appointment is with immediate effect and until further notice,” the memo read.

However, as at the time of writing this piece, the factors behind the dissolvement of the elected Students' Union executives and SRA members are yet to be disclosed.