PANS Politics.

PANS politics has become a shadow of common sense. This week, we would use a commentary from Victor Obagidi a 300 level student pharmacy student UNIBEN. He has simply packaged the recent happenings in PANS UNIBEN in his short exhortation to political righteousness. Student or not, this piece will teach you how to be rational and objective. Enjoy.

Victor

“Dear Friends,

As funny and annoying as this message might read, please do well to read it comprehensively.

Right from the very first day I stepped into the University of Benin as a Pharmacy student, the experiences till date has been awesome (both positive and negative).

But then, I want to base my writing on my experience with the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS) UNIBEN politics. I recall vividly when a senior colleague met the innocent me at basement and asked me the state I came from. I replied "Edo state, Etsako East to be precise" and then he smiled at me and said thank God. I wondered why he thanked God because he met an Edo boy. After several minutes of telling me sweet things as how pharmacy is the best course I could have ever chosen, he then introduced me officially into PANS politics with a clear picture of the two major faction existing in the faculty of Pharmacy just like APC and PDP. 

It really sounded interesting although annoying as he urged me to belong to a sect as a result of my state of origin. I laughed and gave him a shocking answer which was a "NO" not because I was proud but because I had spent years building a life of value and I wasn't ready to loose my value to sentiments all in the name of politics. He wasn't happy about my response as he asked me if I had any political ambition in the faculty. I replied "NO, I have no ambition in politics but I have an ambition in Pharmacy which is ensuring that I do the right thing always regardless of who is doing the wrong thing and to take with me, as many people as possible in the right direction"

Did I regret saying that? No... I didn't and will never do. This mandate has made me pay attention to the PANS politics as it is being played and in my opinion, what is being practiced is not politics but immaculate hatred where progress is the alternative forgone for selfish reasons. 

For complete 3years, I have seen a pure example of sentimental politics where ambition rules over the collective vision of the association. I have experienced a system where hatred has become a norm for as long as you are not for a particular set of people. I have learnt first-hand a typical projection of "the best player of the game wins" even if the best player is not the best for the job. I have been fed with delicacies that has an aroma of brotherhood and sisterhood where I should give in to whatever my brother say even when I am convinced it is the wrong thing. I have seen people desperate for positions to an extent that they'll go to any length just to get what they want and a system where the wrong thing has been altered to seem right to make it alright.

Truth be told, we have different view of what politics is and we all have different views on what it actually means but do we know what it actually means? Must we always make it dicey as the environment has painted it for us to see?  Must we make enemies out of this so called politics? Must our colleagues whom we met by the chance of becoming professionals in the same field be our next victim of ridicule all because we want a position? Is our ambitions superior to the happiness of many? Is our desperation more important than the precious life of our colleagues? Is our conscience that dead that we don't really care?

The future looks so bright but the so called politics is projecting a tomorrow that would be full of strive and battles. May I remind you, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) of today started from the faculty level, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria we see today was built some time ago also at the faculty and the battles being fought among pharmacists also started at the faculty level. Many of us are blindly looking at these sensitive issues with little or no concern as we are living for the now irrespective of what the future holds and these damages are being done gradually.

What is my point? We need to grow as individuals and as a faculty beyond this level where we are to become a team through thick and thin. On this note, I humbly plead to every pharmacy student reading this piece especially the undergraduates like myself who are still in the pipeline of reformation to become pharmacists to embrace unity irrespective of the color, race, ethnicity and relationship. 

Let's join hands to build a better profession we would all be proud of. Let's come together to pursue a common goal. Am I saying we shouldn't support whoever we want to support? No! All I am asking is for a united pharmacists in training who would show love to one another regardless of our individual interest and without pride and prejudice. Let's see beyond what the people before us has painted politics to be. Let's define it our own way so we can get a better unity than we inherited.

I stand to uphold the UNITY of this profession and I beg you to join me in this race by passing this messages across to any pharmacy student you come in contact with. The future of Pharmacy lies in our hands and we must make it the best for those coming behind. Let us all join our hands in integrity as men of honor to SAY NO TO UNHEALTHY POLITICAL DIVISION.

I believe in the great faculty of Pharmacy, 

I believe in the great intellectuals called PANSites, 

I believe in the UNITY of PANSites and 

I believe in YOU.”

Victor Obagidi

300 level Pharmacy UNIBEN.

That was cool, isn’t it? But it is all good. At least, if someone could reason like this, it shows that Kalligraphy is not alone in the struggle for common sense. Let us join hands to flush out these crazy form of politics. Because if this generation continues like this, then we would have vanity and bad government for dinner. 

Happy birthday Eddy Uwoghiren.

Eddy

Sometime in 2012, while my mates were in class, I went to complete an assignment in the cheap and not so popular MTN library. There I met Eddy Uwoghiren, a medical student. He had read one of my article and said he loved it. (Although the write-up was filled with bias). He connected me with his editor and boom, I became like Eddy, reporting for the Nation newspaper. From him, I met Gilbert Alasa, my mentor. Here I am today because of a positive connection with a true patriot. Happy birthday Eddy and many happy returns. I am here today because he was there.

© Ezekiel Efeobhokhan

500 pharmacy UNIBEN

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