Having witnessed the controversies between the two tiers of government present in the student union government of Usmanu DanFodiyo University last session, I feel inclined to write about the need for the presence of the third tier of government.
Nigeria as a country practices a federal system of government which consists of three tiers with different functions. The Legislature saddled with law making; Executive, law enforcement and; Judiciary, Interpretation of the laws. This is to ensure an equal distribution of powers, thereby creating balance as each tier to serve as a check on the powers of the other as aimed by the principle of check and balance.
However, in a situation where there is a tier of government missing, there is bound to be inconsistencies. This being the case in the student union government of Usmanu DanFodiyo University.
Therefore, when our ‘honorables’ in the legislature make laws, there is no judiciary to interpret what it entails to our ‘comrades’ in the executive. In lieu of this, I believe that it is not right to blame our ‘comrades’ if they take unconstitutional steps.
Even though ignorance of the law is not an excuse, what is the essence of a law that is unknown? I agree that the laws are not unknown to our ‘comrades’, they’re just ambiguous because they do not understand the language of the law!
Brethren, if a ‘science student’ does not know what the constitution states, is he/she to be blamed? I believe it is a no! as it is completely out of their league. I believe our dear ‘honorables’ in the legislature did not become so constitutionally knowledgeable about the powers of the executive until their powers were being looked down upon.
I will not say much. But I believe what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. If Usmanu Danfodiyo University will have a student union government at all, then it should be a complete one. When the powers of government become equally shared and the legislature ceases to pass verdicts, then, we can say we have a student union government. When there is a judiciary to interpret our laws, then, we’re a government.
We claim that we’re not too young to rule, but we’re actually unable to manage our own government at the University level. Isn’t that biting what we can’t chew?
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