OMG!:Student union leaders budget N1.8m for phone calls

Firstclass newsline gathered that student Union executives and
legislators at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have budgeted
N1, 837, 550 to make official phone calls between August, 2015 and
January, 2016.
In a copy of the Student Union budget made available to a source and
debated by members of the OAU Student Representative Council on Sunday
evening, the leaders also had a separate budget for internet
facilities and sending of bulk Short Message Service.
The sum, which did not also include the one for purchase of phones,
was budgeted by the leadership of the Central Executive Council and
Students' Representative Council led by Mr. Omotayo Akande and Mr.
Adebari Aare respectively.
Others are the clerk, deputy speaker, halls of residence executives,
chairmen and secretary of transport, judicial, and budget and finance
committees.
The student union leaders, who in totality budgeted N26, 090, 469 for
their various needs, are expecting an income of about N15m.
A breakdown of the budget showed that the speaker, Mr. Adebari Aare,
proposed to spend N232, 500 for official phone calls for 310 days,
while the president of the union also proposed to make calls for 180
days with N108, 000.
Among other items that surfaced on the president's budget were
fuelling at the cost of N270,000; bus maintenance, N300, 000;
'intervention', N300, 000; and security vote, N300, 000.
Contained in the speaker's budget is welfare costing N217, 000; long
journey and short journey accommodation, N1, 250, 000; long and short
journey trip, N500, 000 among others.
When contacted, the Chairman, Budget and Finance Committee, Mr.
Abayomi Samuel, said the budget had not been approved.
Samuel, whose committee also budgeted N114, 000 for phone calls, added
that some of the expenses had been reduced.
While speaking to a source on the telephone and confirming the phone
call expenses, Samuel said, "The budget has not been approved."
However, firstclass newsline learnt that students of the university
are divided over the budget.
One of them, Sammy, said, "How will they say they want to make phone
calls with that kind of money when we are all complaining of poor
toilet facilities and lack of food in our hostels. This is extreme
wickedness."
Firstclassnewsline.net