The Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS) House of Representatives, FUOYE Chapter, held its first-ever Leadership and Policy Forum themed ‘Leadership Beyond Titles: Understanding Policy, Influence, and Real Impact’ at the Deborah Atanda Memorial Hall, Phase 3.
The event featured an impressive lineup of guest speakers and notable student leaders. With a lot of reputable student leaders present such as the President Akapo Emmanuel and Vice president Bolarinwa Amirat of Faculty of Pharmacy, JCIN President Olaoluwa Oladipo, Senator Adebashiroh Adewuyi Women Leader of the 9th Assembly and Faculty of Art Speaker as well as their Faculty Speaker, Rt. Honourable Samuel Oloyede.
The event started an hour later than the scheduled time due to issues with getting the generator running and attendees arriving late. However, after the opening prayer and anthem, everything on the program progressed as planned.
The Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Adedokun, gave the welcome address, expressing his enthusiasm about being present and seeing the event come to life. He encouraged everyone to listen attentively, emphasizing that there was a lot to learn in line with the theme of the event.
After this, the first speaker, Dr. Mrs. Adaeze Asse delivered a speech on policy, describing policies as laws that ensure order. She cited an example from the Faculty of Law, where there is a dress code policy based on the belief that leadership also reflects in one’s appearance. According to her, if one wants to be taken seriously, one must dress appropriately. She further explained that violations of these policies attract a ₦20,000 fine as a means of enforcement. This example established her point on the importance of policies and how policies are ineffective without enforcement. She also spoke about the legislature being responsible for making policies and explained how the different arms of government are unique and equally important. For proper governance, each arm is expected to function within its constitutional responsibilities without interfering in the duties of others, as no arm is less important than the other. Speaking on making real impact, she explained that one does not necessarily need to hold a leadership position before making a difference. According to her, impact can begin from one’s immediate environment, including social media platforms. Rounding up her speech, she encouraged everyone with the statement, “You and I can make impact.”
Afterwards, the Senate President, Dist. Senator Oshunbunmi Oluwatobiloba of the 9th Assembly spoke next, turning the session into a highly interactive one by pausing at intervals to get responses from attendees and even singing a song with everyone which lighten the mood most singing along and others hitting the table to make a beat.
Concluding the event, the last speaker, Right Honourable Olusanya Babatunde of the Ekiti State Youth Parliament, placed strong emphasis on authenticity in leadership. He explained that leadership should not be tied solely to personal interests but should prioritize the people being led, as leadership is not self-centered. Through several personal experiences and stories from his leadership journey, he spoke on what it truly means to be a leader and how policies are made.
House of Representatives of the 3rd Assembly and guest speakers.
Afterwards, a question-and-answer session was held where attendees were allowed to ask questions. This was followed by a vote of thanks from the Host, Right Honourable Seyi Ejioye, after which the event came to an end.