MR. & MISS UNN: Between the UNN KINGS and QUEENS FORUM and the SUG
Fellow Lions and Lionesses, it is important I keep you informed as to details of things going on in the Union so as to enable you make wise decisions. The House of Representatives, haven sat on Friday, 10th June, 2016 resolved to suspend the event mentioned above due to so many reasons bothering on so many allegations against the organizers and the show since its inception. This was passed across to the students yesterday but due to interventions from so many quarters, the whole Students' Union Government comprising the Executive Council, the Senate and the House of Representatives had to call for an emergency sitting to discuss the issue on ground and to reconsider the stand of the House on the matter. This on its own is an unusual favour as it is constitutionally wrong to call for House sitting in less than 24 hours after the previous one. The constitution says that there must be at least a 48 hour notice to officials before any sitting. This was breached so as to grant the parties another opportunity for negotiation.
At the second sitting which held on Saturday, 11th June, 2016, the Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously reached a resolution that the decision of the House of Representatives be upheld. Thus, the show remained suspended.
Reactions from the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate made it clear that they stood by the decision of the House despite all pleas due to the inciting words from some persons. For instance, an Mc at the awareness programme for the event at the University Stadium in the morning of Saturday, 11th June, 2016 as quoted to have said, "This show must hold tonight no matter what the SUG does". While another person was said to have lent his voice to it by saying, "The SUG cannot do anything". These and many more angered even the Senators and Honourable members who were willing to plead on behalf of the organizers of the event and consequently resulted in the resolution.
The organizers on their part claimed that the SUG ouse of HHouse of Representatives suspended the show because they were not given free tickets to the event as requested. In her response, a member of the House of Representatives said that the organizers were communicated through writing about the conditions for the House's approval of the event but no response was given by them. Thus, after waiting for about two weeks for their response, the House decided on the matter as deemed fit by it.
It was further learnt that several allegations had prior to the House's intervention leveled against the UNN KINGS and QUEENS Forum. For instance, the runner-up for last year's pageantry was not paid until Friday, 10th June, 2016 while a winner from a previous edition has till date not got her money prize. She however said she has thus far decided to remain silent because she does not want to pull any strings against them yet. These and many other allegations, according to the House of Representatives informed the decision of the House to suspend the event. Also, section 51, subsection e article II and IV of the Union's Constitution empowers the Director of Socials to hold such events. Thus, the continuous hosting of the event by the UNN KINGS and QUEENS Forum cannot continue. As at the time of filing this report, the House of Representatives has set in motion modalities to ensure that this error is corrected, not just for the present but for the future.
However, it was learnt that the Dean of Student Affairs ordered that the proposed venue for the event be opened as it had all along remained under locks and keys. So at 8:15pm, Ekpo Convocation Arena was opened for use by the Kings and Queens Forum. One thing that made the Dean to go against the decision of the joint House is the fact that he came personally to plead with the House to let the show hold but more than a two-third majority of both Houses voted against the event, thus making it a resolution of the House with the support of the Senate.
Comr. Ezeoke Stanley
Assistant Manager,
Electronic Information,
SUG, UNN
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