With elections just around the corner, the competition for the position of Deputy Hall Chairperson is gaining momentum and this year, two Brownites are in the running. In an effort to promote transparency and encourage informed voting, ABH Press spoke with both candidates to learn more about their backgrounds, visions, and what they aim to bring to the Hall if elected.
Here’s what one of the aspirants, Michael Oloruntola, had to say:
Good evening. Can you please introduce yourself?
Thank you very much. My name is Oloruntola Michael, popularly known as Micky. I’m a 400-level medical student at the University of Ibadan and a proud resident of ABH. I’m someone who is passionate about service, and over the years, I’ve served in various capacities. In 100 level, I was a floor rep. In 300 level, I became the Health and Buttery Minister in Mellanby Hall. Now, I’m aspiring to serve as the Deputy Hall Chair of ABH.
Let’s start on a lighter note. We saw your creative campaign flyer inspired by “The Last Kingdom” with the caption “ABH is Reborn.” That was a bold move. What message were you trying to pass across with that imagery and statement?
That was actually a meme, not a major campaign flier, because there are two ways to show your content to the great people of ABH. We have the major content, and we use memes just to get your name in everybody’s mouth. Well, actually, the “ABH IS REBORN” is me trying to follow through with a particular movie theme. And in fact, in the true sense, “ABH is to be reborn” is just a way of saying that in the past two years, especially this recent year, we have been facing a lot of difficulties in ABH. That is why I believe every leader coming up is trying to bring back the glory of ABH.
I remember speaking with one of my aunties, and she was saying that ABH used to be one of the best halls of residence in the whole University of Ibadan. But recently, we’ve been having a lot of challenges. We just finished the 100 days of no light, which led to a protest. In fact, presently, majority of people are not going to school because we are on strike.That is why we want to have new leaders who can fight for us. We need leaders who can stand strong during difficult times. And this is just a way of saying we are coming to make a change in ABH.
Before we dive deeper into your plans, can you tell us more about the office you’re contesting for—Deputy Hall Chair? What exactly does this role entail, and how do you see it shaping the everyday lives of Brownites?
According to Article 3, Section 3, Subsection 2 of the ABH Constitution, it states, and I quote, that: “The Deputy Hall Chairperson shall assist the Hall Chairperson in his/her duties; shall, in the absence of the Hall Chairperson, exercise the powers and functions of the Hall Chairperson; shall be the head of the Hall Week Planning Committee and shall present a formal account of stewardship at the Hall Assembly after the Hall Week; and shall perform other duties as assigned by the hall organs and provisions of the constitution.”
So it shows that we can categorize these duties into two major areas. The first is that you are actively assisting the Hall Chairperson. Secondly, you are the head of the Hall Week Planning Committee. So, you’ll be at the forefront of Hall Week planning. We all know what Hall Week is about. I mean, Hall Week to some people is a time to bond. It’s a time to cool off. For others, Hall Week is a time to learn. For example, during events like the symposium. It’s also a time for people to show their intellectual prowess, like in quiz competitions.
You need someone who is experienced, someone with organizational skills—someone who can plan an eventful and memorable Hall Week. We need someone who understands what it means to be supportive. I mean, the Hall Chairperson cannot do his job efficiently without an effective and efficient cabinet.
So, in shaping the lives of Brownites, what we truly need is leadership that is both efficient and effective. Regardless of the position you’re contesting for, we need a strong cabinet in the Executive Council—people who can represent the Hall everywhere. So, you can be rest assured that you will have Executive Council members who can represent the Hall effectively.
Let’s talk qualifications. You’ve served as Health and Buttery Minister in Mellanby. What other leadership experiences or skills do you believe make you a strong fit for Deputy Hall Chairperson?
Me running for the position of Deputy Hall Chairperson is not something I woke up overnight to do. Aside from being the past Health and Buttery Minister of Mellanby Hall, I am also the current General Secretary of the National Ondo State Students’ Association, UI Chapter. I am also a Local Officer of FAMSA SCOHE (Standing Committee on Health and Environment). I have served as the Clerk of the Mellanby Hall Legislative Council. These are just some of the positions I have held over the years.
And I’ve noticed something, anytime I hold a position that is specific to a particular office, I am not usually as fulfilled, because I want to make a change. I want to make an impact in every office, every aspect of the hall, and every administration. Even while serving as Health and Buttery Minister, at some point I helped the finance minister. At some point, I collaborated with many other offices. And then I asked myself a question: “Which position do I feel I can serve best in?”
Of course, someone might ask me, “Why not consider Information Minister? Why not consider Social and Buttery? Why not this or that?” But I’ve noticed that if I pick just one of those, I won’t feel as fulfilled as I would when I can have a say or collaborate with every office.
As the Deputy Hall Chairperson, the constitution says you’re going to be the Head of the Hall Week Planning Committee—and as Head of the Hall Week Planning Committee, you’re collaborating, you’re working with almost every Executive Council member. Also, by assisting the Hall Chairperson, you’ll still be collaborating with the entire Executive Council. So, I feel like—not even just that I know—I have the capacity. I have everything it takes to be the Deputy Hall Chairperson: the organizational skill, the experience, and the passion to serve.
Still on your time in Mellanby—what were some of the major challenges you faced, and how did you handle them?
One major challenge I faced was the issue of prices of items in the hall, especially with the cafeteria vendors, as I was also the Head of the Price Control Committee. I usually held meetings with them at intervals of two weeks, and I would check the prices to see if they aligned with what Mellanby residents wanted.
There were, at some points, altercations between me—as the Head of the Buttery Committee—and some of the vendors. The way I resolved it was by bringing in other Executive Council members together with the vendors and letting them know that we were not against them. We were simply fulfilling our duty, which is to ensure that Mellanby residents are getting items at fair and regulated prices.
As regards the Health Committee, another major issue was cleaners not doing their job effectively. I later came to understand their point—that they were not being paid as much as they expected. So, a way I decided to step in was by giving them incentives to encourage better performance. Some of these incentives, which I can remember, were packs of spaghetti and tomato paste.
The reason I did that was because I couldn’t pay them directly, as the constitution does not permit it. So, that was the way I could support them as the Health and Buttery Minister at that time, and we actually saw positive changes through those efforts. Also, we as Health Committee members even had to wash the toilets ourselves at some point. We also had to get bleach and other cleaning items to make the work easier and more effective.
So, from your explanation, it sounds like that was a temporary solution, because when you left that tenure and that position, does it mean that the cleaners will be still underpaid and no form of permanent solution considered?
Yes, at several intervals, I remember that the Hall Chairperson (Mellanby Hall), Banjiola Olaniyan, and I had multiple meetings with the Hall Warden, the Hall Supervisor, and the Head of the Cleaners. We told them that the amount being paid to the cleaners was too small.
In fact, it was the Hall Warden who explained to us that the situation was beyond our control. At that point, I was even planning for each Health Committee member—and even Mellanbites in general—to contribute something extra to support the cleaners. But we learned there was a chain of payment: the University pays the contractor, and then the contractor pays the cleaners. Along this chain, the money reduces, and the cleaners end up receiving very little.
Unfortunately, this issue is not within our purview as students—we cannot change the payment structure. So, it was the Hall Warden who suggested that if we couldn’t increase their pay, we could at least give them incentives. He mentioned that while we cannot give them money directly, incentives would be acceptable—and that’s exactly what we did at the time. This is actually a perennial problem; it didn’t start during my tenure. It’s something that has been going on for years.
What lessons from that experience do you plan to bring into ABH?
In fact, that is one of the strong reasons why I want to be part of the Executive Council—because I believe I learned a lot of things being an Executive Council member in Mellanby, and I’m planning to use my experience in ABH. I learned a lot of things. I mean, I saw the strengths that are associated with some initiatives and the weaknesses, and I’m coming to Alexander Brown Hall to work on that.
So you asked the question: in what way am I planning to bring all those experiences? Yes, even the cleaners here—these are some of the things we can work on. I really don’t think they are given incentives here, even if we are the incentive they need to work with. We all know that being on that page—keeping things clean—is not something that is only a challenge in Alexander Brown Hall. As I just mentioned, it also happens in Mellanby, and it’s happening in almost every hall of residence.
So, at the moment, everybody still needs to continue engaging with the management. I mean, take it a step further—speak with UI management. If they can actually increase their pay, then that would be a good thing. If we can advocate for these cleaners—let them know that the amount they’re being paid is just too small for the work they do—that would make a big difference.
Many of them are tired. In fact, most of them, at the end of the day, resort to washing clothes and fetching water to survive, which shouldn’t be the case. The amount they get paid should be enough for them to feed and cater for themselves. So that is what I also plan to do—give them incentives, just like what worked for me while I was Health Minister of Mellanby Hall. These are part of the things I plan to bring here.
Now let’s address the elephant in the room. Your campaign has been filled with a lot of trolling and bold commentary towards your opponent. Do you have anything substantial to offer Brownites, or are you asking them to vote for you simply because you’re making the loudest noise?
I do not think so. But even if that is going to happen, probably because we have enthusiastic supporters. I mean, I’m actually not aware of any particular agenda or anything. I’m not even sure if the person is supporting me. I really don’t know who is supporting me; I only know the people who are part of my core campaign team.
Aside from that, yes, we have people supporting from outside and all of that. So I do not think I have personally trolled or attacked my opponent at any point in time, because I believe we are both just colleagues.
In response to your main question, my major hashtags in all my campaign materials have been three main things: reliable leadership, innovative leadership, and service-driven leadership. These are the things I’m planning to bring—trying to bring a leadership that is reliable, a leadership that is innovative, and a leadership that is service-driven. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again.
Why are you running for this office? Is it personal conviction, a call to serve, or a response to something you’ve seen in the hall?
Individually, as a person, I’m somewhat passionate about service. I love to serve. In fact, from the beginning of the interview, I mentioned that all through the years, from 100 level till now, I’ve been serving actively in all of my halls of residence. And I do not just seek a position based on what I think in my head. I analyze everything. I look at the best place I believe I can serve.
I’m running for the position of Deputy Hall Chair because that is the position I know I can serve best in at the moment. I’m not constitutionally allowed to run for Hall Chairperson because that role is meant for finalists only.
Imagine it’s your last day in office. What do you hope Brownites will remember you for?
That is a very interesting question. They will remember me for an eventful and memorable hall week.
Final question. If it happens that your opponent wins, would you be willing to share some of your ideas with her for the benefit of ABH?
Yes. I’m someone who is driven by service, and I’m not running for the position just for myself. I’m running to serve ABH. So, if my opponent wins, I’ll continue doing what I’ve always done in the hall, serving in various capacities, and I’ll also be willing to share my ideas to continue the good work we’ve started.
And just before we wrap up—sell your vision for ABH in one sentence.
I am planning to bring a reliable, innovative and service driven leadership.
Alright then. Thank you very much for having this interview.
