UNICAL SUG President’s 50-Man Army: A Symptom of a Deeper Problem

By Inyali Peter

The recent appointment of 50 aides by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) first female President, Blessing Alims, has sparked widespread criticism. However, while I don’t condone the unnecessary appointments, I believe we’re focusing on the wrong issue. The real problem lies not with the President, but with the culture of entitlement and pressure that led to this decision.

In Cross River State today, young people are obsessed with titles and appointments. They crave being called Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, and the like, even if they lack a job description or meaningful contributions to make. This entitlement mentality creates a culture where leaders feel pressured to appease them with unnecessary appointments.

As someone who has experienced similar pressures, I understand the dynamics at play. The desire for titles and appointments has become an insatiable appetite among our young people. Everyone wants to be part of the government or hold a title, even if it’s just a village or age grade association. This pressure can be overwhelming, even for experienced leaders.

In my own experience as President of Unicross Alumni, I’ve faced similar pressures. Ironically, some of the people seeking these titles often disregard whether they’ll derive any benefits or add value to the system. Recently, I had to assert my stance to someone, stating that I’d rather leave than succumb to pressure and make decisions that don’t serve the association’s best interests, just to appease him. The truth is, it takes a great deal of courage and wisdom to navigate such situations without compromising one’s leadership or alienating their support base.

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However, the criticism of the SUG President’s appointment is justified, but we need to look beyond her decision. We need to address the root cause of this problem; the culture of entitlement and pressure that drives leaders at any level into this decision. I’ve seen even more prominent leaders pressured into doing what she has done.

We need to reorient our young people’s thinking to dissuade them from their excessive desire for titles. We also need to give leaders the confidence to make decisions based on what’s best for their organisations, rather than appeasing title-hungry individuals.

For young Ms Alims, I offer this advice; stop defending the indefensible. She doesn’t need 50 aides to function as SUG President in one year. Ideally, she doesn’t need more than five. She certainly doesn’t need an aide for Fitness and Gym, even the VC doesn’t have such a position. Rather than trying to defend her actions, she should allow people to pity her for making such a mistake. This is a problem deeper than her own actions, and acknowledging that is the first step towards change.