LAURETTA IS PRESIDENT

Many kicked when she first began. They thought it was something that can never reach political efficacy. To them, it would take Armageddon before Lauretta could win. But they were wrong. There was no Armageddon and Lauretta won.

Her supporters waxed poetic; they chanted songs. Some others used graphics. A few stood aloof, mute. But as far as they were concerned, Lauretta must be preached.

Lauretta became a philosophy. She was not just an aspirant. She was a brand. Everyone abandoned their books. Both the scholars and the not so scholarly. To them, even if this was not Prof. Ray’s pharmacology, yet they couldn’t afford to carry this over.

I thought pharmacy was apolitical. But I was wrong. So was also all the political apparatchik who thought pharmacy students wouldn’t abandon their books. We were disappointed. It was a

good disappointment.

Her campaign train alone was made up of more than 400 pharmacy students. Someone, a student from the social sciences, said, ‘if pharmacy students could suspend their classes and books to come out like this for this lady, then they must have seen something in her’.

The crowd was so intimidating that when the campaign got to the faculty of Engineering, they prevented us from passing through their faculty. They were like the Edomites who refused the Children of Israel passage through their country to the promise land. Although Pharmacy students were not coming from Egypt but they were surely en-route to their promise land. Political promise land. The embryo Engineers beckoned to the President of PANS to turn his crowd around. But pharmacy refused. What could have led to a blood bath was addressed quickly. It took the Chief Security Officer to calm things down. PDP and APC supporters ought to learn from these students; it is not all the time you use bullets and axes to settle disputes. Sometimes, words can be cheaper and safer.

PSN also need to draw some quantum of Knowledge from these students. They should know when to join forces to win the bigger battle. Before now, the faculty wasn’t settled, politically. But when a common purpose was seen, they abandoned their differences. That was intelligence. Intelligence is knowing when to lose a battle for the common good. If these set of students join the PSN in coming years, then all the political upheaval currently brandishing the PSN would be gone. It is just a matter of time. Sorry for the digression. Back to Lauretta.

Lauretta expressed her calm and commandeered her campaign. Something is different about her. She knows when to say what to say. Speaking softly and intelligently when needed.

Hear her words to those gender-unequal minds; “To all those who have skepticism about a female being a president. This is for you; ‘Read the Bible, learn about the story of Deborah; behold, another Deborah is standing in front of you today’. I bear the plight of a woman and understands the pains of a man. Leadership is not about gender. Women and men can be good leaders. Watch me as I take UNIBEN to glory and you will thank me later.”

What about Samuel Ugwumba? The self-styled Lena. He is the numero uno of PANS politics. He speaks like a cleric. He connived with his repartee to rejig the mindset of pharmacy students. He is calm and halcyon. Someone has said, ‘If you want to have a quarrel with Lena, never allow him speak first, because after he is done, you may be the one apologizing’. I don’t care what you belief, but if Lena had not stepped in when he did, Lauretta would be somewhere counting her losses. He deserves a standing ovation.

And for the PANS president Benjamin Idiakhoa, he is crème de la crème. With his integrity he sought the support of other faculties. He carries with him the excellent mien of a reputable speaker. He soon lost his voice during the elections. He led PANS into victory. He can now dust his shoulder and breathe an air of relief as he has achieved the not-so-popular.

Time would fail to mention all others. But know this, your names have been written in marbles. You have written the history of pharmacy in UNIBEN. When this page would be open in ages to come, it will be said, you made IMPACT 2016 a reality. Gracias. Lauretta is now President SUG UNIBEN.

Ezekiel Efeobhokhan

500 level Pharmacy