The continued inability of the Association of Campus Journalists, OAU, and students to access the approved budget of the Great Ife Students’ Union has sparked growing concerns over transparency, accountability, and openness within student governance.
For several months, members of ACJOAU have made repeated efforts to obtain the ratified budget of the Union without success, raising questions about accountability structures within both the Students’ Union.
Attempts to Access the Budget
Attempts by ACJOAU to obtain the approved budget began with a request directed to the Clerk of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Hon. Deborah Ayeni. This request was later redirected to the Speaker of the SRC, Rt. Hon. Awe Ademola, who maintained that the budget is not made available to non-SRC members, a position that effectively excludes the entire student community and the pressmen from accessing key financial information.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Appoints OAU’s 39-year-old Professor as JAMB Registrar
Attention has also turned to the Financial Secretary of the Union, Dare Ogunleye (FACT). ACJOAU reached out to him on March 23, requesting access to the Union’s approved budget.
He responded by asking, ‘Why do you need the Union’s budget?’ After the purpose of the inquiry was explained, no further response was received.
Further follow-up attempts were also made to the concerned Students’ Union and SRC members on May 17, 2026, regarding access to the approved budget. However, as of the time this report was filed, no response had been received. The continued silence from both the executive and legislative leadership has further intensified concerns among students and campus observers over transparency and accountability within the Union administration.
Pattern Across Administrations
The current state of things has also revived conversations about transparency across successive administrations.
Investigation that the immediate past administration led by Isaac Omoboriowo (Dr Bush) also did not publicly release its budget. Several students interviewed said they had never seen or accessed a Students’ Union budget during their time on campus.
The last widely known instance of a publicly available budget, according to sources familiar with past administrations, dates back to the administration led by Ojo Abass (Lordfem) approximately two administrations ago.
For some students, this suggests that the issue extends beyond a single administration and may reflect a broader institutional culture of limited disclosure within student governance.
Students’ Reactions
Speaking with ACJOAU, Oluwapelumi Adewunmi, a 400-level student in the Department of Education and English Language, said students have a legitimate right to access the Union’s financial records.
According to her, transparency and accountability are fundamental responsibilities of leadership. ‘We are all members of the union, and as members, the leadership of the union owe us accountability,’ she said.
She added that withholding financial information weakens trust between students and their representatives. ‘Most of us have learnt to sort ourselves with or without the union because we don’t even know the provisions made by the union. We are no longer sure of anything,’ she stated.
Adewunmi also linked the lack of transparency to declining student participation in union activities and elections. ‘Personally, it has affected people and trust in the union. No wonder some people will not even vote, no criticising they are being persuaded.’
However, while criticising the administration’s openness, she noted that the Union may still be carrying out projects unknown to many students. ‘I am not even saying they might not be working, but only a few do we know about,’ she said.
Another student, Olubunmi Caleb of the Department of Political Science, said he was previously unaware that the Union’s budget had not been made public.
After learning about the issue, he described transparency as essential to effective student leadership. ‘Students have a right to know how their dues are being used. It builds trust and ensures accountability,’ he said.
Caleb argued that making the budget public could increase student participation in union affairs and encourage feedback on spending priorities.
Still, he acknowledged that some may worry about ‘unnecessary scrutiny or misuse of information,’ though he maintained that openness generally strengthens trust.