By Adebanjo Zainab Adejoke
In this interview, Yusroh Tobiloba Tijani speaks on her ambition to become the Vice President of NAPSS UI, the strengths and weaknesses of the current administration, and her plans to improve academic support, mentorship programmes, student accessibility, and accountability if elected. She also discusses her proposed initiatives, including a CBT practice platform, scholarship guidance, and a Student Policy Lab under her Beacon Agenda.
Good day. My name is Adebanjo Zainab Adejoke POSSPRESS correspondence I will be the one to interview you on your political ambition for the position of Vice President.
Kindly introduce yourself.
I am Yusroh Tobiloba Tijani. A 200-level student of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan. I am a media and information literacy advocate and the current Assistant Welfare Officer for Command Day Secondary School, Mokola Almuni Association.
What motivates you to contest for the office of the Vice President
Thank you for the question.The main driving force behind my decision to contest is the willingness to serve and improve on the academic and welfare structures we have in the department presently. And i believe one must also get involved to be able to make effective changes which is why i am presenting myself to serve the members of our great association.
The current administration is doing very well, but beyond good there can always be better. There are other approaches that I think we can apply to the current structures to make things more efficient and more impactful for students.
You said that the current administration are doing well, so what are the better plans you intend to implementI intend to improve in visibility.
I reached out to some 100 level students concerning how I can improve if elected, and I was told the current Vice president is not visible enough that some of them do not know her.To be visible to students,I need to strengthen my communication and be accessible to the students. Also,I would like to improve the academic life of students by introducing a CBT practice platform to support test and examination preparations.
So how will you fix this lapses identify and within that timeframe if elected?
What are your top three priorities?
Thank you for the question. My top three priorities are visibility, academic supports and student accessibility. To address visibility, I intend to work with class representatives and active members across all levels and have direct interactions with them.Within the holiday and my first month in office, I intend to establish a consistent communication system so students can know who I am,the office i hold and what i do.For the academic support, which is the CBT practice platform, I have the website built already, and it will be used throughout the session.
Finally,I will establish an anonymous feedback link for students to share their concerns and give their feedback on the challenges or complaints concerning my office.
Also, will the CBT practice platform be effective and how do you tend to measure that?
Yes, the CBT platform will be effective. It will give NAPSSITES the opportunity to practise questions and identify areas of improvement. I intend to measure the effectiveness of the CBT practice platform through the created academic committee,students participation, and feedback through the website. I will then work on the feedback to improve the platform.
What’s your own definition of leadership ?
Leadership is the act of being accountable to the people. A leader should be ready to serve. It is not just by holding a position or having the title.It is by actions and making yourself accessible to the people you want to serve.
What do you consider to be the difference between the responsibilities of the President and those of the Vice President
To me, the President is the overall head of the executive council while the Vice President is to deputise him/her and carry out assigned responsibilities.The Vice President should serve as a bridge between the students and the executive council.I do not intend to take the role of the President but deputise the office and ensure that NAPSSITES are well represented.
What have you done so far in the department that prepares you for this role?
So far, I have contributed to the department through my participation in the NAPSS week.I worked actively during the Youth in Politics symposium and the Voter’s Awareness Walk. I also provided the CBT practice platform for GES examination to support NAPSSITES, and it helped me to understand the importance of student engagement and active participation in academics and departmental activities which have strengthened my readiness to serve as the Vice President.
Can you expantiate more on the role of a Vice President according to the Departmental Constitution?
The role of the Vice President goes beyond assisting the President alone.According to Article 9, Section 2 of the NAPSS constitution, the office of the Vice President is expected to do the following; a.The Vice president should be in charge of the academic affairs of the Association. b.Shall advise and assist the President and deputise the President in his/her absence. c.Shall carry out duties that are assigned by the president or the executives. d.Shall serve as the chairman for the Annual Week Organising Committee.
How would you rate the current administration’s mentorship program and academic tutorials?
Nobody is perfect. I will rate it a 7 out of 10
Why did you choose to rate it a 7?What are the gaps you identified, and how do you intend to bridge them especially for mentorship program and tutorials, if elected as the Vice President.
I rated it 7 out of 10 because I acknowledge the efforts and impact of the current Vice President, but I believe there is still room to improve student’s participation and the consistency of the mentorship and I would want to investigate further through the student feedback link.
I intend to build on the existing mentorship programme by encouraging wider participation and introducing a CBT practice platform to complement the academic tutorials and help NAPSSITES prepare more effectively for tests and examinations.
If elected, what mechanism would you put in place to allow students to hold you accountable for your promises?
I intend to establish on the CBT website a place where NAPSSITES can track my promises and submit their concerns. Also,there will be a feedback link that will be sent to the general NAPSSITES group twice in a semester.This will allow students to assess my performance because I believe leadership is not just about making promises but being accountable to it.
Beyond your campaign promises, what is one thing you want students to remember about your candidacy?
Beyond my campaign promises, I want NAPSSITES to remember my candidacy as one which is built on accessibility.I want them to remember that I was willing to take the students and the association beyond the University level and that I built a legacy.
Apart from the CBT, mentorship program and tutorials, what other initiatives are you introducing for the benefit of students in the department.
Thank you for the question. Beyond the academic support, I want to develop an access initiative where students can be taught how to identify verified scholarships and the guide on how to apply for them. Also, I thought of how the Department of Political Science can be seen beyond the University level and I decided to build the Student Policy Lab. The Student Policy Lab is to encourage students to make researchs and write accessible publications which would showcase the practical aspect of the field of study.
Why should students trust that your promises will be effective beyond paper
Students should trust me because I believe in taking actions.I have contributed to the departmental activities, and I have worked as a leader in my previous department. If elected, i intend to give updates to NAPSSITES and create a feedback link to access my performance.
Lastly, why should they cast their vote for you?
NAPSSITES should cast their votes for me because I am ready to listen and take action.I am not coming with promises alone but with practical initiatives to improve their academic support and welfarism. With THE BEACON AGENDA,I intend to be the light that guides,support and ensure no NAPSSITE is left behind.
Thank you so much, Miss YusrohWe’ve come to an end of this interview.
