By Ubong Akra
It is no longer news that a new executive committee of SSANU UCB is in place. What matters now is what they do with the goodwill and the mandate members handed them at Hogan Bassey’s Car Park.
The election itself said a lot about where this branch is headed. From the outset, the university management made it clear through the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Prof. Anthony Afam Okiwelu, that there would be no backing of candidates and no room for desperation. Members listened. The process ran smoothly, orderly, and with a turnout that told its own story about how much people care about the direction of their union.
That kind of discipline doesn’t happen by accident. It helps when senior members choose the union over personal ambition. ‘Dr. John Owan’ the former Public Relations Officer, did exactly that. He stepped down from the race in the interest of SSANU-UCB. He is indeed someone with an impeccable character whose love for the union speaks volume. He doesn’t want to see the union crumble, reason he made the sacrifice. Posterity will forever be kind to him. For making that call, he deserves recognition. Unions grow stronger when people like him put collective interest ahead of ego.
To those who contested and didn’t come out on the winning side, this isn’t the end of the road, and it certainly isn’t the end of your relevance. Elections produce winners, but they don’t define worth. Your courage to step forward, your ideas, and your commitment to SSANU-UCB are what keep the union alive and competitive. The union needs your voice now more than ever. The work ahead is too big for one team to carry alone, and history shows that some of the strongest contributions come from those who serve outside of office. Don’t withdraw. Stay engaged, hold the leadership accountable, and be ready when the union calls again.
Now the focus shifts to the team taking over. The new Chairman, *Comrade Stephen Demort*, has already set the tone in his acceptance speech. He called the mandate a responsibility belonging to every member, not just to him, and pledged an administration that leaves no one behind on the basis of tribe, unit, or affiliation. He also put staff welfare at the center of his promise, saying issues affecting members would be confronted with fairness and resolve.
That’s the task in front of them.
Winning an election is one thing. Keeping a diverse membership feeling seen and heard is another. The new Exco will need to translate the calm, credible process we just witnessed into real gains on welfare, workplace fairness, and communication with management. They’ll need to be magnanimous in victory, avoid old lines of division, and act like the servant-leaders the national officers reminded them to be.
They have a few advantages. The process was transparent, the university management provided a conducive environment, and members showed up in numbers with a clear appetite for order. The precedent set by Dr. Owan’s sacrifice also gives them cultural capital to work with. If they can build on that, they’ll find a membership willing to meet them halfway.
The polls are closed. The speeches are done. What comes next is the work—quiet, consistent, and focused on people. If the new leadership keeps that front and center, and if everyone who loves this union stays on board, SSANU-UCB will have more than a peaceful election to celebrate. It will have a union that delivers.
Long live SSANU UCB.
Because when the union stands united, no challenge stands a chance.
Ubong Akra, a journalist and Public Relations Practitioner, writes from the University of Calabar.
