ON THE CLOSURE OF OAU BY THE MANAGEMENT
In what came as a surprise to the students, the
management of Obafemi Awolowo University, ILE-IFE
in the late hours of December 1st, 2015 after a
meeting of the Governing Council of the school shut
down the school indefinitely. The decision arrived
after the students had boycotted lectures a day
before the meeting demanding good welfare
conditions, re-fumigation of the halls of residence
which have been conquered by bedbugs and
frightening rats and reinstatement of a student,
Olawale Ogunruku, who was suspended in 2011
among other demands.
But in a swift reaction, the management decided to
forestall any other possible protest which the
students might stage protests especially during the
incoming convocation ceremony, alleged visitation of
the President of the country and Queen Elizabeth of
England to Ile-ife for the coronation of the new Ooni.
The management consider the students as an
element of embarrassment, hence they prefer
sending the Great Ife students home. This must be
condemned.
Having paid skyrocketing school fees, the
management cannot improve the welfare conditions
of the students, the state of condition of the
laboratories, lecture theatres, library are disgusting
and not fit for any academic purpose. Students sit on
the floor to receive lectures despite the huge amount
of fees they are paying. This is pathetic. Now, they
are telling the whole world what they are passing
through on the campus like many other government
universities in the country.
The students are suffering from erratic power supply,
poor and coloured water, stinky environments. For
how long would one expect the students to cope with
these horrible and terrible situations after they have
paid the mouth-tearing fees? Their telling their plight
to the world has become the management's way of
achieving their hidden agenda. The management
cash in on the peaceful lecture boycotting to attain
their obnoxious plan.
Having done nothing to elevate the standard of living
of the students after they had paid the school fees,
the management are planning to increase the
accommodation fees. They see the students as a
source of enriching their pockets. The secrets must
be revealed!
It should be noted that there is nothing like unrest on
the campus as reported by some media. OAU
campus cannot be more peaceful than it is now. The
closure of the school is grounded on false
inclinations. As the management did during the last
NASU strike, they have subscribed to lies again! They
defend their cruelty and anti-student action on the
fact that they are giving mid-semester break to the
students. Of course, this is meant to shut up the
students' lamentations and crying of woes they are
suffering from the management.
Every meaningful Nigerian should come to the aid of
the OAU students. No nation survives on lies. The
management have committed a lot of atrocities in
OAU, they want to cover up all their evils students
want to expose. This must not be allowed to stand.
The presidency and all Nigerians must know how
corrupt and wicked the management of the
government schools are, everyone should know that
Nigerian students are suffering! The president
through the ministry of education should investigate
the rationale behind the declared closure of the
school to unravel all evils perpetrated on OAU
campus. Students should not be intimidated and
silenced just because they voice out their pains and
afflictions. OAU students are anti-corruption
crusaders!!!