"I WOULD HATE TO MAKE PROMISES BECAUSE THEN I WOULD BE CHALLENGED TO PERFORM ABOVE THEM." - FRANCIS OHACHO, PRESIDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, OAU.

By Mercy Ojegbola 

NCB: Can we meet you?

Francis: I am Francis Fortunatus Ohacho, popularly known as Sael.

A part four student in the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, I am the incumbent president of the department's students body.

NCB: What motivated you to run for the position of President?

Francis: I would like to use cliché pumped up phrases like I'm led by my passion for service and all. 

People often say they knew I was going for presidency from part one due to my proactiveness, but really I didn't have the Presidency in mind till late second semester of part two. 

And that's because I have only wanted to support from the sides, being a significant catalyst for development wherever I am.

So I've had roles like Vice President and Fin Sec in mind, but not president. I didn't think I had it.

My motivation, in summary, would be the realisation of how efficient I can be to an administration. And I don't doubt it, that with the help of the team and every conscious NASELSite, we'll attain greater heights in this administration.

NCB: Since you started the declaration of intent and manifesto, the phrase "The Precision Path" has been your phrase, so to speak. 

Can explain what that is to yourself and to the people you want to serve?

Francis: Well, experience did teach me a lot.

The erstwhile president (2022/23 administration) Jahz Baba, often called my friends and I idealists.

What he implied was that we were so full of ideas that we were blind to their unrealistic nature.

I had a million and one things I wanted to do in the previous administration. But what experience taught me and members of the team was that too many goals will overload the team and kill productivity.

Team Precision aims to carry out actionable goals only. By limiting our goals, we can contain our focus and maximise efficiency.

NCB: So, what are the top 3 changes or improvements Naselsites should look forward to during the "Precision path" tenure

Francis: I'd hate to make promises, cause then I'd be challenged to perform above them

But there will be serious interests in academic development, not just for academics sake, but for selfdefinition in suitable career paths.

God bless the DOSports, we are looking at a sports and fitness intensive administration too.

I can't unveil the rest of the cake. We'll find out as the session progresses.

NCB: How do you intend to address academic-related challenges that students face like result issues, failure, difficulties in requesting for scripts and whatnot?

Francis: I sent a video to my team members particularly on the issue. The video features a student leader boldly confronting the management on students' concerns.

I can send the video here if you want. There are three C's to Aluta: Consultation, Consolidation and Confrontation.

The Department's existence rests solely on the existence of Students in the department. It is heartbreaking that students are treated dismissively and made to go through heartwrenching experiences while losing opportunities all year round.

These are things we intend to address, and will take up seriously. We may not go as far as that video, cause, obviously, we intend to graduate, but we must show that our being elected was not vain. The interests of the electorate is our mandate.

NCB: There's been complaints about the apathetic attitude of most Naselsites towards activities or events organised by the department. What do you think is the cause, and how do you intend to address that?

Francis: Well, you become invested in something you see yourself as a part of.

Disunity and estrangement sets in when people can't find their place in a system, and subsequently, the structure begins to fall apart. This disintegration is further promoted when people who are alienated from this same system are required to follow the dictates of the system and forestall their own will. 

Currently, rather than running this thing wholly as a Team Precision/executives thing, we have devised ways to expand the range of minds in each project. 

Having divided our works into fragments to be managed by separate units, each unit is bringing in many willing NASELSites as backbones of their projects.

Where people don't see their parts to play in the organisation of events, they'll rarely devote interest in it. However, if we provide opportunities for people in the department to actively participate in the pulling off of these plans, this will not only expose them to useful experience and personal development, it will also enable brand owners among them to pitch their tent, such that they'll serve as the contractors for the necessities of each event.

NCB: What are the challenges you foresee in the achievement of your goals, and how do you plan to overcome them?

Francis: The biggest challenge is consistency and enthusiasm. People have it for a while, and then lose it...

Somehow, there has to be a way to hold and sustain interest, if not boost it.

To overcome this, we are working on incentives.

By incentives, I mean certificates, awards of recognition, media and visibility promotion, and many other things.

Particularly, we want to help people build their portfolios in ways they never knew they can.

NCB: At the end of your tenure, what do you want to be remembered for as the NASELS(OAU chapter) President of the 2024/2025 academic session?

Francis: That we created a legacy redefining English and Literary Studies in positive light.

NCB: Finally, how can the Naselsites support you to achieve your vision for this administration?

Francis: Don't step back from the administration.

NASELS belongs to every due-paying English student. You don't have to be an executive to make it great.

Much as you may come to need the administration's support for one issue or the other in the department, know that your support and participation in issues concerning the association is equally of high regard.

NCB: Thank you very much Mr President.

Francis: Thank you for having me.