Indisputably, the outgone administration should have handed over all Hall properties upon leaving office. However, before now, it is quite understandable if they give the excuse of the pandemic as the reason why they were unable to do so.
The current administration should have taken it upon themselves to see to it that all properties, most especially those needed for the immediate smooth running of the Hall activities be handed over in no time.
It is reasonably valid that when it comes to issues of handing over, bulk of the work is on those assuming office to get those leaving to do the right thing. Not minding the fact that there has been pandemic and all the restrictions attached to it, the current administration has been too complacent regarding the issue. It is more like they are looking for a good reason not to perform excellently well at the long run.
Although the former and current Hall Chairmen and Finance Ministers are the most involved, the blame cannot be put on them only, because if the current administration performs well the glory will be for the general team. For instance, the Zik Quadrangle was renovated by the last administration and it was all to their glory, including the Constitution they made available to the generality of Zikites.
How frequent do the current administration have their Executive Council meetings? How many time has the issue of change of signatories been raised by executives affected in their meetings? That would have geared erring Council members to do what is necessary.
The legislative arm while trying to be firm, is seemingly going about it in an unpalatable way. Yes, it is their duty to compel the Executive Council to recover the bank account, but Zikites should not be made to suffer for the executives’ poor performance. How about suspending the Finance Minister for incompetence and a strong warning to the Chairman, while getting another account for Hall activities for the meantime?
From Otuoke’s comment as delivered by Kenny, he said the current Executive Council did not reach out to them at all, this might not be totally true going by the response of the immediate past Finance Minister. It can be held that the current administration has not tried reaching out enough, while the past administration is failing to realise that they owe Zikites a duty to hand over all Hall properties with them.
It is important to stress the fact that laws are there to solve problems. If so that letters of the law must be followed rigidly, the Legislative Council is sticking to the use of the Hall’s account alone, then it is tantamount to enslaving ourselves to the law. The prevailing situations have warranted the need to be dynamic and adopt reasonable alternatives, most especially, when the issue of the freshmen’s tutorial is dire. The legislature could have permitted rational alternatives to solve that dire need. In fact, it would have attracted commendations. Laws are for us, we are not for laws.
Giving the pandemic as the only reason why the change to signatory has not been effected is a very flimsy excuse. On no account should any other activity of the Hall be cancelled because of this issue, if really the leadership of the Hall knows what they are doing.
