Switch; Simple and Short.
Elections are tricky things. Who to vote for, who to sly, what person performed well, and who be the one wey no too try?
As law students, we are held to the highest standards available, and in turn, expect our leaders to be of the highest standards too. But even more than our standards, are our problems, which come in various ways and forms. Who then has solutions to these issues?
A wise man once said that simplicity is the greatest form of sophistication. The simple, straightforward and honest-to-god plan is always the best. If there is something Tom and Jerry have taught us, it is that the elaborate, complex plan will not catch the mouse. A man with simple plans, a man with feasible plans, a man that is me, Hussein Daniel Subomi (HDS).
As Assistant General Secretary of the LSS, I was the least of all the executives and was thus unlikely to influence the tide to a great extent. I tried my best to do my part diligently and can say with pride that the success of the Career Fair 2018 was mostly due to my hard work and enterprise. But even when I did not have influence, the LSS gave me something: experience. I understand the tricks of the office, the lobbying and the various ways the game is played. But enough about my time spent in the office, let me tell you how I will spend my time in the office if you give me your mandate. What do I plan to do? What are these simple, feasible plans that I am bringing?
My LSS administration will be centered on five pillars; CAREER DEVELOPMENT, ACADEMICS, FINANCE, RECREATION and ACCESSIBILITY.
· CAREER DEVELOPMENT: My vision for the LSS is a development program that includes the library gang and the ‘school na scam’ gang. For the former group, I intend to partner with companies and organizations to improve the employability of our students and open them up to more career opportunities. It is not enough to attempt 6 out of 5 questions in the hall, it is also important to add value to your legal knowledge in terms of soft skills, as well as certification in other areas. These will open up various professional career paths and help spread our eggs in many baskets. To show that I am serious with these plans, I am already in contact with companies like Jobberman (who I already brought to the faculty) and EduBridge to help develop law students at extremely reduced prices.
Also, for the second group, I intend to help entrepreneurs with improving awareness of their brands and providing opportunities to network. For this, I have Focal Sells, a website dedicated to advertising various side hustles of law students.
· ACADEMICS: I am a firm believer in the fact that mentoring and tutelage is an excellent way to help pass across information. A refined version of the lecture in class can be the difference between passing and failing. This is why study groups and tutorials are extremely popular, and why the LSS tutorials are very important. The problems with the current state of the tutorial classes can be divided into three;
1. Venues: If a makeup class is not going on, the Masters students would be having a test. Either way, classes are not available for the tutorials. However, with right planning and a partnership with the faculty, I intend to secure venues for these tutorials.
2. Publicity: When it is time for Tax debate and Laws Got Talent, the PROs put their programs in our faces, so why can’t we do the same for our tutorials? Morning and night, night and morning, my administration will make you aware of the tutorials.
3. Incentives: I am sorry, I don’t mean souvenirs. At least, not yet. But on a serious note, a problem with the LSS tutorials is that our tutors do not have great reasons to actually come. How can this change, you ask? Well, by giving them that reason. Law Dinner Tickets, food, etc. are not too much for the LSS to give to these students who make so much sacrifice.
· FINANCE: I know you have heard it all, and the candidates have said it all about finance, so I will not bother you with the regular tropes. However, I intend to generate revenue, as well as be accountable financially. For the former, I have a potential deal with FundAll (the green flyers), a fin-tech company ready to give out money for every student that registers. To break it down for you, if any law student registers with a special referral code, #500 (FIVE HUNDRED NAIRA) will be transferred to the LSS account. You save we save. What could be better?
For financial accountability, I intend to include the class reps and the LSS blog in the budget planning process of the LSS. In other words, these people will be aware of how much is budgeted for events, the amount gotten from sponsors and what the money was spent on. This way, the financial activities of my administration can be as clear as a glass of water.
· RECREATION: All work and no play make legal a dull boy. Recreational activities are super important for the law student as breaks from all our stressful work are recommended. I plan to bring a table tennis board for interested students to calm down and have fun as opposed to working all day. I also have a deal in the works with Airtel (who shared sim cards at the manifesto), to provide free wi-fi for law students. Feasible plans, ladies and gentlemen. Not futuristic, but things that are already happening.
· ACCESSIBILITY: The LSS exists for the law student. Therefore, if you cannot get access to us, who we epp? To improve access to the excos and communication, I propose two things; the LSS Hotline, and the LSS Complaints Register.
1. The Hotline: My administration will have a phone, with a number available to all law students, to reach the excos whenever needed. This will enable information between students and the executives, as well as potential partners and sponsors, to be passed across in real time.
2. The Complaints Register: Now, just in case you cannot catch us at the office, and the phone line does not go through, you can write down your complaints/requests and what-nots in a book set aside for such. This will make sure that your requests do not go unheard and unanswered. Pen, paper, easy as the alphabets.
Ladies and gentlemen, the above plans are easy, simple and I have showed you the ways through which I am achieving them. Our dear LSS is in need of a change; a change of direction, a change of pace. And to achieve this, I propose a partnership; between the LSS and the Staff Adviser, the LSS and sponsors/partners, the LSS and the students. But for these relationships to go past the talking stage, I need your help. Tomorrow, as you log into your student portals to cast your vote, make it a vote for Subomi. Only you have the power to make the switch possible.
Elections are tricky things. Let me help you solve the puzzle.
