Political Apathy in Agronomy: Who Will Drive the Change?

 

By Ayodele Abigeal

The election period is drawing near, and before we know it, the ban on electoral activities will be lifted. But is there going to be a change this time around? Or are we going to witness another cycle of begging people before they pick up nomination forms?

Many students remain uninterested in the political affairs of the department, yet we continue to complain about our executives year in, year out. We complain about their attitudes and ineffectiveness during their tenures. But have we ever stopped to think about why things keep going that way?

The change starts with you.

Just imagine a situation where four different candidates are interested in a particular position. Do you think there would be room for an inefficient candidate to emerge? Absolutely not.

Political apathy in the department has become a growing concern. When students are uninterested in the political affairs of their department, only a few people are left to participate in the process of choosing its leaders. This limits competition and may affect the quality of representation the department gets.

It is easy to complain when things go wrong. It is much harder to participate in the process that determines who gets the opportunity to lead.

So, what can be done to change this?

First, students need to become more interested in the affairs of the department. Leadership should not only become a concern when elections are approaching or when there is something to complain about. Students should pay attention to the people seeking to represent them, understand their plans and ask questions about what they intend to achieve.

There also needs to be a stronger culture of participation. More students should be willing to contest for positions, vote, ask questions and hold elected representatives accountable. When only a handful of people are interested in leadership, the same cycle can easily continue.

There is also a need to strengthen students' engagement with the legislative process within the department. A functional legislative system provides another avenue for students to participate in governance, scrutinise decisions and promote accountability. Students should therefore not see governance as something that ends with elections; they should remain interested in what happens after leaders are elected.

Ultimately, the quality of leadership in the department is influenced by the level of participation of its students. If we want better representation, we cannot leave the responsibility to a few people and complain when the outcome does not meet our expectations.

The next election may be another routine exercise, or it may be an opportunity for something different.

The choice is ours.

Political apathy will not work. There is a need for change, and that change begins with us.