EXPLICIT REPORT ON THE PURCHASE OF THE FIRST TRANSPORTATION BUS…

This is the second time I will be writing on the bus issue because it has generated into what I did not expect nor plan. Some people want to use this avenue to hijack the union, paint me black, soil my name, tarnish my integrity and make people lose hope in my leadership. But as President, I remain resolute to truthfulness, transparency and trust.

How the money for the bus came?
It has never been in the history of this union that the University management releases backlog dues. When I came on board as President, I made the university management to understand why they have to release our backlog during the time the union was on suspension. Initially they opposed it, but I demanded it has to be released because it is our money. Later, the management agreed to release it, which was totalled to be 7.3 Million Naira on the basis that there must be something tangible we have to use the money for if they have to release it. Having fully understood the plight of students at bus stop at night and in accordance to my manifesto of easing the stress we face at bus stop at night by getting transportation buses, I made the management to understand that we need buses and we shall use the backlog to get buses. After making their findings they agreed to my proposal of getting buses and 3Million Naira was first released for us to get a bus, show them, defend it before releasing other funds. It should be clear to all that the money was deliberately released for bus and as such it can not be spent otherwise because the university management will also audit us on how we spent the money.

When the money came, how we got the bus
The money for the bus came days after we had the first congress that suspended the speaker‎ and dissolved the committees due to the petition written to the congress. At that point there was committee to deal with, and in the absence of such, work of the union cannot stop, the executive can keep working and when the committees are newly constituted, they shall be well informed. So, we went ahead to seeing how we shall get the first bus. We consulted four dealers and negotiated to the barest minimum. The first said 3.5Million Naira, the second said 2.9 Million, the third said 3.2Million and the fourth said 2.5Million. Before we went ahead with it, we met with the mechanics at the university maintenance to help us find out the amount the bus is sold because Department of Accounting has such which we saw at maintenance that day and the mechanics told us the bus is 3.5Million Naira from Lagos. After making all these findings, we went ahead with the dealer that said 2.5Million and we got the bus which is a Tokunbo Bus and Grade 1 (Not Nigerian used) as been reffered to by dealers.

Buses on Jiji, Jumia etc
While we were consulting dealers on how much the bus is being sold, we went online also as students and we saw a lot of such buses on Jiji, Jumia etc. Mechanics advised us never to get such buses even though they are quite cheaper, but we warned not to get buses from Jiji or jumia or any online seller because we cannot be so sure of the engine and majority of such buses are Nigerian used. In the process of making our findings, we were made to understand that we could get 14-seaters of Passat/Volkswagen for 1.4Million Naira but we should not go for such as they break down easily just like the ones we had in the union about 3 sessions ago that are no longer functioning, but should rather go for Toyota products.

Controversy, lack of trust and allegations
I am not unaware of all the controversy, lack of trust and allegations that has emanated since the purchase‎ of this transportation bus. Some are saying I inflated the amount, some are saying I have stolen money, some even said I am a thief, some are saying I should be impeached, some are even saying I should not be trusted and some are moving around one place to another to use this avenue to turn the students against me and hijack the union. Greatest Ife! Articulate Ife!! Yes, 2.5M is a big money which is making everyone think the bus is not up to that or I have inflated the amount. As President, I can say it anywhere anytime, the amount of the bus was never inflated and I will never do that, I am not corrupt and I will never. This union is not an end, it is just a means to an end and as such I can never soil my name or tarnish my name as we all have a long way to go. We are the ones this country is waiting for to save it from these corrupt leaders, and if we that the country is waiting for are now fraudulent in our dealings, then what is the hope of this country? What I fear most in my life is financial scandal and that is why I will never be involved in such because a good name is better than silver and gold. On this note, I challenge everyone who wants to investigate or making findings as regards to the amount the bus was bought, whether it was inflated or not, whether it has financial scandal or not to investigate and if it is proven to the world that I inflated the amount or I am involved in financial scandal, *I shall resign as President* immediately because what is the essence of being a leader when those you are leading cannot trust you.

On the pictures sent around
I must state that the person that took the picture of the bus only wanted to tarnish my name, because he took the picture after the bus has been used since morning and got dirty, just to make people think I inflated the amount the bus was bought. The bus is always parked at SUB, everyone is free to get close to the bus, check it extensively, take pictures and show it around to dealers or people that know about bus and make your findings and facts about the price.

On the type of bus
The bus is a Toyota Hiace 14 Seaters Bus. Dealers refer to such type as Grade 1 Tokunbo as it was never used in Nigeria, it is straight from US. All expected to be there are intact, we did not do anything to it, seats came with it, the steering was not changed from right to left‎. A lot of past alumni have been calling me on why it generated to such issue as they said the bus even costs more that 2.5Million but I made them to know some people wants to use it to tarnish my image. But I will never allow them succeed. And now, I am challenging all who thinks I inflated the price or I am involved in financial scandal, to make proper findings, bring up facts and figures and if proven that I am involved in financial scandal, then I shall seize to be President.

To Great Ife Students
Greatest Ife! Articulate Ife!! As your President, I have been up and doing to ensure I serve you dilligently. These are trying times for me as President because there is no such thing that spoils one’s name as financial scandals, I can boldly tell you that I am not corrupt and I will never be because this Presidency is not my end and we are those to make this country great and as such I need us all to come together as one as a union and never allow some people use lies to divide us all because they want to get hard on me.

Aluta Continua!

Oyekan Ibukun Edward
President OAUSU