Find below, the full speech of Her Excellency Priscilla Khadi Vawurah, first Student’s Representative Council President of then University for Development Studies Wa Campus now Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies.
HANDING OVER SPEECH PRESENTED BY H.E PRISCILLA KHADI VAWURAH ON 16th of September 2021
The Acting Registrar,
The Director of Finance,
The Auditor,
The Vice Dean of Students,
The Counselor,
Senior Hall Tutors Present,
Outgoing SRC/NUGS executives,
Incoming SRC/NUGS executives,
Distinguished Developers of SDD UBIDS.
It is a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new task ahead of me, the past is gone, the journey ahead is full of possibilities and I’m feeling really good, I stand here today looking all cheerful, the journey was difficult, but I persevered against all odds, I knew the task of winning this SRC Presidency would be an arduous journey, I didn’t give up even in face of failures and the breaking hurdles, I didn’t sojourn but persisted. Fellows, we must learn the virtue of patience and perseverance. Be patient, sometimes you have to go through the worst to get the best. There will always be naysayers, remember you had a purpose before anyone had an opinion, so tell me, which do you think matters most? People’s opinions or your purpose? You decide.
It is a great honor to be here today to be sworn as the SRC President for the 2021/2022 academic year. The chair, before I proceed, permit me to leverage on this platform to extend my deepest gratitude to the entire student population for their endorsement which led to my resounding win, thank you for believing in feminine leadership, you have broken the age long tradition of assigning masculinity to SRC President portfolio, you have proved to the world that you are progressive intellectuals, the world is proud of you for bridging the feminine gender participation in mainstream student politics. To bear testament to this unprecedented development is the massive news reportage of our election on major news portals including TV3, Adom Online, GhanaianTimesOnline, GBC and many more. This win also attracted the attention of International Organization like Plan International.
Michelle Obama said ‘’No country, but in this case, no University can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potentials of its women. It deprives itself of the contribution of half of its citizens.’’ I am glad you have endorsed the brand ‘’Mother For All’’ as the very change that can propel appreciable development in our young University. I promise not to let you down, I have broken the glass ceiling, Khadi has made history, I want history to not only remember me as being the first elected female SRC President but as the President who through her stewardship has cemented trust in female leadership. It is inherent on me to hold the door wide and making the ground fertile for other women to thrive in student leadership in the male dominated environment not only in our dispensation but Ghana and the world at large.
The chair, it is by dint of a major constitutional electioneering processes I participated in, won and is scheduled today to be sworn in as Student Representative Council (SRC) President elect of this noble institution.
The Chair of the SRC Electoral Commission of the university, Mr. David in fulfillment of his constitutional obligations declared me the winner of the 2021 SRC presidential election, with 1526 votes, representing 49.58% of the total valid votes cast on the 28th day of May 2021. It is not just a win for me; it is a monumental win considering how sleek the win was; as a matter of fact, winning across all polling stations. This extensively communicates on the prolonged unfilled desires of students with regards to a change in leadership trend and how quick they were in embracing the change we have long preached for.
I am humbled by the trust and confidence reposed in me and I make this solemn pledge to you today, to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify, a president who doesn’t see females nor males but students in general who deserve the very best and I pledge to work and put in all efforts to win the confidence of all students of our dear university. I believe it is what students have voted for; it is a mandate student’s have entrusted into our hands and I am very optimistic students will not regret this change they have believed in and voted massively for.
Students of the university have not elected me to serve members of Team Khadi, but to serve the entire students’ populace. Whether you supported me or not, whether you campaigned for me or not, whether you voted for me or not, there is something you can be positive about, I will do my best to serve your interests, and make our SRC relevant to you which in a long run, will confirm why they call me a Mother for all.
Being the first female SRC president of the institution speaks emphatically on expectations from all and sundry. I can’t risk losing the trust of all the people who trusted me, those who believed in me, and those who regard me as a role model while I forge new paths. I know I will not just make history as the first female SRC president, but also a successful SRC president.
Distinguished developers, there is a reason to rejoice. Khadi is here with the change. I sought this office to restore the lost dignity of the SRC and to reignite the interests of students in SRC affairs. When we pay keen attention to students’ daily agitations with measured introspection, we will realize that the will of students is a battle we must conquer. The battle to ensure students have comfort in lecture halls to champion students’ priority for being in this university. The battle to ensure students are safe both on-campus and off-campus while pursuing academic goals and the battle to ensure the welfare of students is at its height.
This is going to be what our administrations will be about and of course, our mandate.
These and more are going to be achieved by putting the right persons in the right positions and the employment of the right resources for the right need.
To my honorable Majeed; the NUGS president-elect, and other elected executives – evaluating our potentials, I am assertive of a successful administration. I know we will do magics. We will serve to the best of students’ interest and of which we shall be celebrated.
That apart, the support and cooperation of school authorities is critical to my administration’s success, I therefore plead with management to give us the needed attention and support in the course of our service. We have a very large constituent that will always be ready to ensure we deliver accordingly and on time. These are people we can’t disappoint. In essence, I pledge to be cooperative with management, and I hope management does the same to my administration.
That being said, there will be a need for ardent cooperation from the students’ body too. There is a need to be participants and not observers. It should be a collective duty of marching our SRC for our collective growth and development. By taking parts in SRC activities, seeking clarifications & accountability, effective management, and proper usage of school properties with regards furniture, fans, lights, we will be contributing our quota in advancing the development of our institution.
If we can decide not to be concerned because we are not executives, then we can equally decide to be concerned and be cooperative as developers because the aftermath effects will bounce on all of us. This should be our mandate as students of great SDD UBIDS.
I am confident, and I have faith that, with God’s guidance, your active help and hard work, we will march this university forward. Together, we will change SDD UBIDS.
To all students who so much entrust their resources and time to our campaign, I am promising you today, not to let you down.
To all those who remembered us in their prayers, I am deeply grateful for your spiritual solidarity which I believed had influence in our huge win. We hope that these prayers will not cease to help us deliver accordingly. I believe it is a duty God has called us to do. Let’s just trust the process.
All present, I must be quick to add that I do not believe this leadership journey is going to be smooth and effortless, I do not think it will be easy but am of firm conviction that, we will thrive with success.
In advancing a collective fore front for development, we leaders need to understand who elected us, why were we elected, why are we here and why are we doing all this?
We must mellow down and understand that the beauty of leadership is that of assuming a servant position, to serve and not be served, we must right the wrongs of ineffective student leadership structure to fulfill our respective mandates. We are the highest student governance structure of this University and I reiterate that we exist to serve students to the best of our ability and be there for students as they strive towards academic excellence. In doing all this we must not forget we are students ourselves. I submit to all present that we are a body by the students, for the students and must to work in unison with all students regardless of their background, ethnic extraction, sex or religion.
I will conclude with a popular quote by Jim Rohn, Jim said, ‘The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.
God bless you all, God bless UBIDS and our homeland, Ghana
Onyankopon nhyira mu nyinaa
Allah saa muku Albarka
Y3 barika.
Thank you.
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