The candidate pool of the 2025 election is large with many aspirants running opposed. Part of them is the female affairs minister with two candidates. The ABH PRESS presents an exclusive interview of one of them:
ABH PRESS: Good day. My name is Dara , and I’m going to be interviewing you for the position you are going for. Um, can we meet you?
Alright. Good day, Miss Dara. I am Olanrewaju Stephanie, a 400-level dental student and a sprint for the post of Female Affairs Minister, Alexander Brown Hall. And I am the acting floor rep of B3 constituency—I mean, B3 third floor, yeah. So I have served on different committees, both within and outside ABH. But let’s focus on the ones within ABH. I served in the Female Affairs Ministry for this tenure and the maintenance committee of this tenure, which allowed me to serve on the monitoring and evaluation sub-committee of the Female Affairs Ministry. As a member of that sub-committee, I was charged with the duty of—like I said before, I’m the acting floor rep for this floor. So what did I do? I made myself available during, especially when they wanted to do inspections, bathroom inspections to be precise. I made sure that I turned off and on the lights in the corridors, talked to the cleaner or, encouraged her to do her cleaning if I found fault in any of the things that she didn’t clean properly. I tried my best to participate actively in the programs that the Female Affairs Minister of this current tenure. And regarding sports, I have served under the ABH Football Association, and I am the winner of the ABH FA Merit Award. I served on the Media sub-committee. I was charged with the duty of takin, or recording, let me say, recording the live session of every match that was played, almost all the live session of every match that was played. I actively participated in the fundraising for the events. I spoke to alumni—different alumni, to be honest. I am also the current general secretary of the Unibadan Association of Dental Students, which I have performed my constitutional duties well to the best of my knowledge, and also achieved almost all of what I wrote in my manifesto plan, because the tenure is not yet over, so there is still time to finish up. I’ve also been the—I was the co-head of, um, UCH Student Association Health Week, the past health week—that, um, that they just finished—the co-head for the publicity committee, Health Week publicity committee, and I’ve also served as the co-head of the, 42nd Health Week of USA. So, serving in all these capacities has made me, um, gather experiences that I believe that I possess the necessary qualities to run for this role, for this post.
ABH PRESS: Okay, thank you for giving me a lot of information. Yes, ma’am. I want to ask you to tell us about—can you tell us about the position you are running for?
Okay. What I know about the position I’m running for? Let’s actually talk about my constitutional duties. According to the constitution of Alexander Brown Hall, the constitutional duties of the Female Affairs Minister shall be: one, shall ensure the welfare of female brownites. Shall ensure the maintenance of all proper sanitation in the female section of the hall; shall present the formal account of stewardship to the hall assembly after the hall week; and shall perform any other task assigned to her by the provision of the constitution or any organ of the hall. Okay.
ABH PRESS: Can you, in a brief, concise manner, just tell us what makes you qualified for this position?
Okay. What makes me qualified for this position? So, like I’ve said earlier, I’ve served on different committees, both in ABH and outside ABH. But for ABH, I would say I was an active member of the Female Affairs Committee, and I served on the monitoring and evaluation committee, which doesn’t really have to do with the female affairs program, like the programs that she organized. But, after serving during my service in the ABHFA, I was also involved in the organization of the ABH female league, female mini league. So, my duties then were to make sure that I persuade one or two people to enroll for the league, like to play in the league, you understand? So, I was able to do that. And with my other things apart from the female league: the live session, fundraising, talking to sponsors, making sure that I actually raised money for the events. So, that is my contribution to the ministry. Okay.
ABH PRESS: So, I think that, as somebody going for that particular position, you would have thought it through. And if you are to divide or paint the picture of the functions of the female affairs ministry in consideration for every female brownite, at all what do you think that would be?
I’m sorry, I don’t really understand that question. Can you take it again? Okay. Or maybe in a more simplified manner.
ABH PRESS: Okay, no problem. I mean that the females in the hall have different ways they interact with the hostel and the different facilities of the hostel. Okay. How can you clearly divide those things as the functions of the female affairs minister?
Okay, if I get you properly, Yeah. Okay, okay, we have sports, we have hygiene, we have, um, I mean, health and hygiene, we have empowerment, we have… Will I say female affairs blog? Yeah, we interact with it. We have the female affairs blog. We have water, maybe that’s still under hygiene, and something else.
ABH PRESS: Can you see the aspects about the current administration that you’ve been improving on?
Yeah. What I want to improve on is to tackle the apathy to programs amidst female brownite. Even programs that are meant for us, we still have low participation of female brownite. I think the issue is the blackout, and let’s say, the ongoing strike. But, even before the blackout and strike, we still do not have a lot of members. Because I, I remember for the yoga for girlies, because I was there, the pajamas night, I was there, we didn’t have the number at all. So, um, one thing I will do if I’m elected is, because I have actually done a survey. Like, I’ve spoken to female brownites, that, “Okay, please, why didn’t you come for this program that was organized by the current FM?” And they were like, “Ah, especially for the yoga for girlies.” Like, they really wish they would come, but the money is too much. That if I can help them, like, as students, if there’s anything I want to organize, in my, you know, if I’m elected, is that I should focus on minimal expenditure. Let’s say it shouldn’t be more than 1500 or 1000. So, I will work on that if I’m elected. And, two, I noticed that publicity for our event is not that solid. It’s like, let’s say, we are having an event to, let’s say, we are having an event next week or two weeks’ time, and the publicity is just going to start, like, a week or two weeks to the event. We all know that we are medical students, we have a lot on our table, a lot of workload. So, I’m informing them, like, maybe three weeks or a month before that, “Okay, let’s say we want to have a workout session now, that, okay, everybody, we’re going to be having a workout session in the next three weeks. Please put it in mind.” And there’s going to be, like, timely updates on the group. We send our BCs on time. I think this will help to tackle the apathy amongst the female brand night.
ABH PRESS: Okay. If a female brownite comes to you and mentions that she got abused during a social event at the hall, what would you do as a FAM?
Elected. Okay. That’s a really big question. Okay, yes, I see there’s a hierarchy in this. I will try to calm things down, like, make her feel a little more comfortable. So, like, tell me how the whole thing went. So after that, after getting the necessary information from her, I will take it to… will I say, I’ll take it to the executive council. Of course, they have to be informed about it. I cannot just go straight to the awarding. I have to take it to the executive council and report to them, saying, “Okay, this is what happened,” and I believe whatever I say on the executive council should end on the executive council. You should not go and be discussing it, maybe with your friend or all that. So after I get to the executive council, we can pitch it to the Hall Warden. Of course, we have to pitch it to the Hall Warden. Then, taking it to the awarding, I think there’s a session in UI that has to do with, um, sexual harassment and all that. I am on the group, so I have a relationship with them. I can just say, “Okay, we have a case that we have to look into,” then necessary measures should be taken from there.
ABH PRESS: Yes, as a female, um, I believe what makes me the right person for this position is?
one, I have the experience. I have the experience. I’ve worked on different committees, publicity, um, even as an assembly member. I’m a three-time honorable member. I’ve served under the SU, I’ve served under the USA, SRC. I have experience as a student executive of UADs. So the experience is there, and I believe that I am someone with good communication skills. If you have any issue, you can easily walk up to me. Though, people say I am mostly frowning or putting on a serious face, but it’s not that deep, It’s not that deep. I’m someone that you can easily walk up to, I’m jovial, so like, if there’s anything that you want to talk about, I’m always up for it. I like to put my time and energy into everything that I do, on any committee that I find myself doing. So, like, all this has made me feel like, okay, I’m the best person, I am fit to run for this post.
ABH PRESS: That’s really good. And the last question will be on our interaction. Um, you haven’t been so available online to reach.
I want to say, what your metric is for that.
ABH PRESS: I know that you’ve not been replying to my texts or my calls, that’s what I mean.
I’m really sorry about that. It’s because of this campaign thing, here and there, talking to people. So, sometimes I might just be online and I might not even be with my phone, like, talking to people in the quadrant. Sometimes I’ll be doing class visitation and all that. So, I believe…
ABH PRESS: Class visitation, physically or online?
Online.
ABH PRESS: So, you are online?
Yes, ma’am.
ABH PRESS: But you are not replying. Do you get what I’m asking?
Like, I’m online, but I’m not replying to your own message.
ABH PRESS: Yeah, for quite a stretch, do you get?
Like, I’m giving a late response to your text. That’s what I’m saying, that’s because I’ve been busy. Like, I organized my WhatsApp to, like, for now, I’m focusing on my election. That’s what I’m saying.
ABH PRESS: This is part of your election. You don’t think it’s part of your election?
It is part of my election, but still, my interaction with people to vote for me and all that is what I was focusing on. So, probably an oversight, or sometimes I might just get a message and I’m like, okay, I’ll reply. Let me just sleep. When I wake up again, I’m waking up to someone asking me, why do you think I should vote for you and all that. So, like, I’m engaging a lot of people at once, that’s what I’m trying to do.
ABH PRESS: Because the reason I’m asking is that, if elected FM, you’ll be needed on your phone a lot, because some people just call you for whatever reason related to them being in this all, and they want to reach you. And, like the example I gave of somebody who feels taken advantage of, if this person can’t reach you immediately, there’s almost, in some cases, non-admittance of the person’s claims. Do you understand me?
I believe if I’m elected, my room number will be something that everyone knows. They can easily just walk up to me. At least you won’t be knocking on my door, and I won’t say that I won’t open the door for you. Even if I’m drunk, I don’t think I’d want to do that because you’re an executive, and you should be ready, available for the people who voted. Do you understand?
ABH PRESS: Okay. Thank you.
