Of Law and Accountability: Awo Hall Leaders Must Lead Right

When a hungry man sees food after many days, he devours it without thought for taste or preference. What matters most is that the hunger has been quenched. That, in the moment, becomes the value. But hunger must not blind a man or stop him from knowing what is right. It should make him more alert, more cautious, and more thoughtful—to prevent the hunger from returning. To forget how to eat or to eat carelessly is not survival. It is negligence. And in leadership, negligence comes at a cost.

Obafemi Awolowo Hall has known moments of disruption. It has felt the bitterness of hunger in its politics and democracy. Named after a man known for his ideals of service, progress, and intellectual leadership, Awo Hall has not always held his virtues. In 2019, the management dissolved its Executive Council over issues of accountability. In 2024, history repeated itself; a president-elect was usurped from her democratic seat.

At moments like this, one questions the democratic state of the Hall. What is the Student Representative Council saying? Don’t they represent the arms of government? To avoid sentiment, these questions have been asked.

Like the song of democracy sung in hushed voices across the school environment, Obafemi Awolowo Hall gained its independence mandate, and the separation of powers became the new trend. Awo Hall has begun to find its way back.

On November 16, 2024, a congress was held to review the Hall’s constitution as an appeasement to real democracy. The constitution was later enthroned as the foundation of the Hall’s democracy. It defines power into three arms: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. The Hall Representative Council (HRC) makes the laws and ensures that the Hall remains peaceful, orderly, and well-governed. The Executive Council is responsible for carrying out these laws and managing the daily affairs of the Hall. The Judicial Council interprets the laws and settles disputes. Each arm checks and balances the others.

Recently, the Judicial Council was inaugurated. Chief Judge, Judges, Registrar, Clerk, and Bailiff now form a court ready to keep the law alive. The Chief Judge leads the Council. She presides over sittings, interprets the constitution, and ensures that proceedings follow due process. Her role is to keep the law alive and the Council independent.

Alongside the Judiciary, the Attorney General was sworn in to ensure that no one is above the law. She is responsible for prosecuting offences and advising the Executive on legal matters. This duty has become more important as the Hall returns to its democratic structure and seeks to uphold the values in its constitution. The three arms of government make the whole: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. In Awo Hall, this structure is complete. These developments are commendable. They show signs of a return to accountability and real governance.

But here is the truth. Chinua Achebe said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” If we resonate with what he called failure, it is incompetence. Incompetence in the position where action speaks best.

Awo Hall was once starved. The elected leaders of Obafemi Awolowo Hall must understand that the stomach does not get too starved and forget the way to the mouth. Now that the hunger has been quenched and the eyes can see clearly, the structure alone is not enough. The table is set for true governance. The existence of separation of power is to avoid the centralisation of power. If the Executive fails in its duties, the Judiciary should not turn a blind eye. If they fail to act, power will slip again. Someone who guides the blind leads the way, not the other way around.

When you are in politics, you keep your head afloat. You stay awake and stay alive. Things go wrong when they are not watched with eyes wide open. If the other arms do the same, they must do the needful. That is the core of checks and balances.

Laws are meant to be abided by. A society with no laws may claim to have no sins, but that is not the case in the Hall. The laws are crystal clear. The constitution has shared each arm’s power, their rights, and limitations. The leaders must uphold what they are responsible for. It is not a position of mere privilege. It is a seat of duty. If you choose silence over justice, history is bound to repeat itself. Then you are part of the problem.

Like the esteemed educators say, “You already know what is right. Now, do it.”

Remember, Awo Hall is watching.