“My plan basically revolves around maintaining existing structures,” Feranmi highlights for the Upcoming ABH Election.

In preparation towards the 2019 elections of the Alexander Brown Hall – ABH PRESS had a conversation with one of the aspirants for the office of the Information Minister. As Feranmi elucidates on his plans for the office, he equally speaks on the motivation behind his political intention.

Interviewer: Can you introduce yourself briefly?

Feranmi: Good day, I am Oluwaferanmi Omitoyin, a 400 Level Student of Medicine and Surgery in the University of Ibadan and I am running for the post of the Alexander Brown Hall information minister.

Interviewer: When did you declare your intention for the post of the information minister?

Feranmi: As soon as the electoral ban was lifted, I declared my intention to run for the position of the information minister.

Interviewer: Why the information ministry out of all other posts?

Feranmi: Particularly, I have some experiences in the world of information and communication. So i believe being the information minister is a great avenue for me to work in the Alexander Brown Hall and help give back to the community.

Interviewer: Now that you have declared for the position, what should we(Brownites) be expecting from you?

Feranmi: I would be focusing on existing structures and bringing new innovations to the table.

Interviewer: You talked about your experience in the ministry? Do you have experience in other sectors?

Feranmi: I have worked with people in the area of communication and on a few committees. e.g. UIMSA publicity committee for about three years, Alexander Brown Hall information ministry and Hall week publicity committee for the past two years, social media officer for FAMSA GA. I am also the director of Communications at the Panacea project. Those are just a few of my accomplishments.Interviewer: This means you have worked in various dimensions. So what are the challenges you are expecting to face if you are elected?

Feranmi: To be able to say the specific challenges will be quite difficult, because weary is the head that wears the hat. If elected, I believe I won’t be the only executive council member, there are a lot of brilliant minds, a lot of Brownites who will be there whom we will walk together and come up with solutions to challenges together.

Interviewer: In a few sentences, can you critic the last administration of the information ministry?

Feranmi: Well, to say that any leader is perfect is, there is always room for improvement. The challenges faced in the last administration are one that no man will understand if not put in their shoes. They did very well but all I can say for now is that there is always room for improvement. Well, it is only the current information minister that can say for sure if he met his expectations. So, I will leave him to decide.

Interviewer: I would be asking about specific issues regarding Brownites.

Feranmi: Okay

Interviewer: What do you plan to do about the public address system which we all know is bad.

Feranmi: The issue facing the public address system is one that concerns all because we are all Brownites. Well I would say it is about being deliberate and there is an element of time and chance to it. As a member of the information ministry this past tenure I was privileged to work with the current information minister, Mr Okafor Silas who in his capacity tried his very best to fix the PA system and actually give Brownites good quality sound during the projection of announcements. But then as it is or as it seems we could not get the best of what we hoped for but as I said earlier there is always room for improvement. So if elected as the hall’s minister, I would look technically and see if I could get a more technical approach to the issues we are facing: the wiring, positioning etc. Beyond the PA system, I think if Brownites know that that this is a fixed time for announcements in the morning and evening, probably it will help them to ready their minds that announcement are coming and strain their ears even if the PA system is not so good. More importantly, we have notice boards in every block where important notices are put there and messages will be sent via Broadcast messages. So if they are not able to hear it on the PA system, they have an opportunity to see it via broadcast messages and their notice boards.

Interviewer: What do you plan to do about COMUI inadequacies?

Feranmi: I would say the current administration laid the foundation by bringing in new routers. If elected, my focus will be on improving and maintaining the new routers.

Interviewer: Will there be anything unique brought to the table? Any special thing?

Feranmi: Like I said earlier, my plan basically revolves around maintaining existing structures.

Interviewer: Any exclusives?

Feranmi: I think we should all wait for the manifesto night: for the razzle and dazzle of the night.

Interviewer: Well, this election has been interesting so far. So many competing for different positions. What do you think differentiates you from your opponent?

Feranmi: Experience, Passion and Dedication. Those are my three strong points; I have lost elections in the University of Ibadan. I have lost not just one but two but irrespective of the outcome of any election I have been involved in. I always went back and thought what could I have done better. Still I never antagonized people in power, I always worked closely with them. This shows my passion and dedication to service irrespective of opposition, glory or not, I am dedicated to working. With the experiences I have gained in the past organisations I have worked with, I believe it allows me to know better the running of the information ministry, I have worked with social media, COMUI, PA system. I believe I know the ins and outs of the most aspects of the Hall and the duties. I familiarize myself. I hit the ground running every time I work. I believe this is what differentiates me.

Interviewer: who do you think has the upper hand between you and your opponent?

Fernami: I will let the people of Alexander Brown Hall decide.

Interviewer: What do you think about the ABH elections?

Feranmi: About the upcoming elections, all I can say is that I am glad to be a Brownite and witness this great event that is about to happen and I am glad to be a big part of this story. Thank you.

Interviewer: Any parting words?

Feranmi: Thank you very much for the opportunity to be interviewed. I am grateful to God, my campaign team and all Brownites. Whatever the results of the elections are, for the past year and half, they have been very good to me. They have been awesome. I have worked in various capacities. I am glad to have been able to serve this great hall. I think this is one of the moments I would look back in future and say I spent about three years in this hall. I gave my all and I gave my best to the hall. Thank you very much.