University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) vice-president student life Bolu Akindele has violated her position duties, according to a ruling by UMSU’s judicial board.
The ruling was shared at the UMSU board of directors meeting on March 27 by Gurpahul Kaur, vice-chair of the judicial board, which noted that a complaint alleged that Akindele violated six sections of UMSU’s governing documents.
“We do believe that two out of those six sections were violated,” read the judicial board ruling.
Kaur stated that the board “collectively came to the conclusion” that Akindele violated a clause in the positions and duties section of the UMSU Governance and Operations Manual, which calls for the vice-president student life to “[serve as] the liaison between UMSU and UMSU’s community representatives, while ensuring UMSU consults with, and provides appropriate supports to marginalized communities on campus.”
UMSU currently has seven community groups which represent a wide range of interests and backgrounds, according to UMSU’s website.
Each community group is allotted a designated room by UMSU and $16,000 from a community initiative fund to support events and initiatives that benefit the community.
Akindele violates intent of funding approval structure
Kaur stated that Akindele — who was absent from the board meeting — also breached a section relating to the approval structure of the community initiative funding.
“The intention of the approval structure is to provide support for initiatives in a way that respects the autonomy and self-governance of the communities, while also meeting the oversight and transparency requirements of UMSU’s by-laws,” was the section deemed to have been violated.
Community groups seeking funding from the community initiative fund are required to receive application approval from the Community Assembly — a monthly assembly of students from each community group. Afterwards, the application must be submitted to the Membership Services Committee (MSC) for final approval.
As vice-president student life, Akindele served as chairperson of the MSC and could grant exceptions to the funding application submissions, according to UMSU’s Funding Criteria and Regulations.
Kaur also stated in her report that the judicial board does not believe that the community initiative funding clause was solely violated by Akindele, “but also by the Member Services Committee, with or without malice.”
Gurpahul Kaur, vice-chair of the judicial board, read the judicial board’s findings and recommendations at the March 27 board meeting. Photo by Milan Lukes
‘I did not violate any clauses,’ says Akindele
“I respect the work of the judicial board. However, I disagree with the decision and maintain that I did not violate any clauses,” said Akindele in a statement.
“Ensuring responsible spending of student dollars does not undermine autonomy, it upholds integrity,” she stated.
“This decision sets a concerning precedent for responsible governance and financial accountability within UMSU. I continue to remain committed to ensuring that all clubs and community groups receive the support they need.”
Akindele did not provide further details on the incident or incidents that may have caused the complaint to be filed, and Kaur stated that the judicial board could not provide more information on the violation details.
Kaur stated that the judicial board received a formal complaint against Akindele on Feb. 20 from one of the seven community representatives, which was deemed valid on Feb. 26. The first hearing was set for March 2 as part of the investigation.
None of the community representatives responded to the Manitoban’s request for comment by the publication deadline.
Resignation of Membership Services Committee
Akindele stepped down as chair of the MSC on March 4, according to vice-president finance and operations Carolyn Wang, who served as interim chair at the March 20 MSC meeting.
Wang did not comment on the reason why Akindele stepped down from serving as chairperson.
Akindele did not respond to the Manitoban’s request for comment on her resignation by the publication deadline.
Judicial board presents recommendations
Along with the ruling, the judicial board recommended that Akindele and all other UMSU executives take a mandatory certified accessibility training before the end of April. It was also recommended that all incoming UMSU executives take the training each year before their terms begin on May 1.
The ruling noted that “multiple discrepancies and administrative issues with MSC were uncovered that led to the most of the things that were mentioned in the complaint.”
It was recommended that MSC guidelines be revised and “added to the official UMSU governing documents.”
“Within these guidelines there need to be clear instructions on how applications are processed, who has speaking rights, the role of the chair, what to look for in passing or rejecting a motion and how to keep minutes, among many other things.”
Other recommendations include mandating communities to seek pre-approval from MSC before purchases over $1,000, ensuring that MSC compiles and adheres to the last five-year precedent regarding purchasing amounts and that the final date to submit funding applications be extended beyond the April 20, 2025 deadline.
Kaur stated that the judicial board intends to present a motion with these recommendations at the April 10 board of directors meeting.
Akindele told the Manitoban in February that she would not be seeking re-election due to “commitments with nursing school, which have become increasingly demanding.”
