Resolutions and Next Steps: ABH Town Hall Meeting Recap
Deliberations on the solutions and the way forward
The booming sound of the loudspeaker announcing the commencement of the town hall meeting on the morning of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, jolted many Brownites out of their sleep. A third town hall meeting had been scheduled for 7:30 AM at the Volleyball Court, where the proposal from the College Management would be discussed and a plan for moving forward would be determined.
The second town hall meeting was held on the evening of November 11, 2024, where Brownites expressed their concerns about living in inadequate and deplorable conditions without electricity and water. The following day, the Hall executives with the UIMSA president, USA president, the former Student Union president, and other association presidents met with the College Management and the Dean of Student Affairs to discuss the resolutions made during the second town hall meeting.
The meeting was reportedly lengthy and concluded with the College Management presenting a proposal in response to the concerns raised by the Brownites. Although no official statement was issued by the end of the day, it was clear that a third town hall meeting would be necessary to address the ongoing issues.
The outcomes of the negotiations with the college management were as follows:
1. Electricity Supply: Electricity would be provided for three hours daily, as the college management and university did not have sufficient funds to meet Brownites’ demand for six hours. The generator would operate for two hours at night and one hour in the morning.
2. Clinical Postings: A meeting will be held with all Heads of Departments in UCH to discuss further measures.
3. Solar Panels: Solar panels would be installed around the TV room, and twenty additional sockets would be added to allow Brownites to charge their devices. However, a specific date for this installation was not provided.
4. Water Supply: Solar pumps for A and D blocks were proposed. Although no date was fixed, it was reported that this issue was being addressed.
5. Hostel Closure: Regarding the motion to close the hostel due to current living conditions, it was stated that only the Senate of the university could permit a closure based on significant physical protests and property destruction.
6. Water Channeling: There was also consideration for channeling water from the reservoir to Alexander Brown Hall (ABH).
The meeting officially started at 7:45 AM with a modest number of Brownites already present at the volleyball court. The executives expressed their gratitude to the attendees for coming. They acknowledged delivering messages, lamentations, and concerns to the college.
To accept or reject the proposal, it was decided for an election to be conducted with Brownites having the option to vote for or against the proposal. The results of the election yielded 89 Brownites in support of the proposal and 141 Brownites not in support of the proposal with 1 null vote.
After the rejection of the proposal, further discussions were held regarding the consequences of the results. One suggestion was made to invite the College management for a direct conversation with us, but this proposal was declined. At that point, some Brownites were already seen leaving the Volleyball court area.
Following several discussions, the remaining Brownites present at the court agreed upon the following resolutions:
1. The University or College management must communicate the resolutions regarding electricity in writing; otherwise, the boycott will continue.
2. The petrol generator will have a six-hour duration for pumping water, and the diesel generator will operate for three hours per day for one month, which the Brownites will accept.
3. If solar panels for the TV room are not provided within the next month, a boycott will be initiated. Furthermore, even with the provision of solar panels, the previous arrangements concerning the large generator must remain unchanged.
4. Funds for both diesel and petrol must be provided every preceding Saturday by noon for the following week. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a boycott.
5. The resolutions discussed in the meeting with the Heads of Departments (HODs) regarding clinical postings and other posting requirements should be released in writing.
6. An agreement to these conditions should be documented and signed. A widely circulated memo must be issued for the Brownites to resume school; otherwise, the boycott will continue.
The town hall meeting concluded shortly after noon, following the announcement of the resolutions. During the meeting, discussions revealed that the root cause of the lightlessness currently being experienced stemmed from the University College Hospital’s (UCH) inability to settle its debts with Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). The situation was exacerbated by outstanding backlogs and escalating electricity bills.
Unless UCH addresses its 500 million naira debt, reconnection to IBEDC seems unlikely. While a resolution may seem like a distant hope, we remain committed to advocating for the provision of basic amenities, even if rationed, to alleviate the difficulties faced during this challenging period.
