*GREAT IFE STUDENTS' UNION*
*CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL*
*AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, NIGERIA*
Before Great IFE turns an eyesore and the most obnoxious abode of all Universities in Nigeria, here comes the headaches of all times; our travails.
*"Every obnoxious act is a cry for help" Zig Ziglar.*
Irrevocable salutations to all great Nigerians and the entirety of students. With an heart burning with fury, fuelled with a restless mind of exasperation, we write to decry, upbraid, and censure the poor, obnoxious state of affairs causing insalubrities and risk of lives of students, especially on a well revered campus like OAU. In fact, this is really dispiriting, embarrassing, shameful, and portraying total leadership insensitivity, complete failure and outright wear out. Students are not beggars nor animals why should they be treated as such? Sadistically, even the animals in Obasanjo Farms Ota enjoy and are well treated compared to the intellectual backbones of this nation. Is this not embarrassing enough? Nigeria and her woes since 1960.
It is no longer news how the management of various varsities across the nation maltreat students by harbouring and accommodating them on filthy and "kirikiri-like" prisons called halls of residence/hostels. This kind of imbroglio is not alien or exotic to halls of residence on OAU campus. In times past especially during the Omole led draconian administration which was fantastically marked with (misappropriation, embezzlement, enlaced with rigidifications). We protested severally it yielded victimization and school closure which was synonymous to strike, we wrote it gave birth to futility. It is now the case that when we protest they lie that we are unserious, lazy and vandals as though they are doing the needful at all. When we put up articles they say that we are rude and uncultured as if a cultured management should oppress students by subjecting them to noxious learning environment. Then should we keep mute? Never! A closed mouth is a captured destiny; management of oppressors invites studentship of agitators. We are never inured, we are Great IFE Students; the standing Armies of a rush of titanic struggle, the undaunted and ever courageous comrades of Scientific Aluta, the gallant and dogged comrades who anchor that union, which is the primus inter pares in Nigeria and countries beyond, The Intellectual Fighters For Emancipation; the warlords of radical struggle devoid of rascality.
On Sunday 30th April, 2017 youths (who supposedly are tagged the leaders of tomorrow, if only the failed leaders of today will vacate their seats) were recruited into the higher intellectual market of teachers and learners as directed by the university management. This makes so obvious that the acceptance fees, school fees inter alia have been paid and that the 2016/2017 academic session has started. To avoid the envisaged embarrassing situation, we wrote to the management through her Division of Students' Affairs to ensure that the Halls of Residence are fumigated before resumption that is, Sunday 30th April, 2017 to avoid the barbaric "military coup" of bedbugs we have even been facing severely before the last session ended (2015/2016 session) and to ensure that our fresh students are not affected with this dangerous bedbugs as the need for them to live happily in their halls can never be flinched and flung.
However, it is rather painful yet unsurprising anyways that the management are still recalcitrant to doing this. Their reply was that students should vacate halls of residence before these halls can be fumigated. A responsible management who truly would not love to be seen as "anti-students" should have hastened up the process and done all necessary fumigations before this fresh session started. This is to make obvious to us that it is out of their wish to grant our utmost needs. They also claimed that some halls have been fumigated such as Angola, Mozambique, we vehemently believe that it is either these two halls were not fumigated at all or that they were not fumigated thoroughly as students still complain of bedbugs. To this effect, we cannot continue to endanger the lives of our students, their welfarism is invaluable, they are higher creatures not animals, they paid for a conducive teaching-learning environment therefore, it is a necessity without any further hesitations backed with the rush of a speedometer that all our halls be fumigated and be free from bedbugs as no university official can enjoy an office with bedbugs or room with them let alone subject their own children to such rooms. Bedbugs should be extincted from our halls of residence. We say no to their parades in our rooms they are not our roommates.
Cleanliness, they say is next to godliness. For healthy living on campus and most especially in our halls of residence, we call on the management to ensure that all the bushy parts and pathways are cleared. It is so disheartening that in spite of our requests that these should be done, they are yet undone. In some halls, the bushes are as tall as the Students' Union president. This is degrading of a varsity like ours. A bushy environment irritates, our halls should remain halls and not bushes. The failure of the management to do this would therefore mean that our lives as students are vulnerable. The bushes accommodate dangerous animals such as snakes,scorpions etc. On several occasions have we killed snakes and some other dangerous animals in our acclaimed halls of residence. Do not wait until they start to bite us. Do not stay relaxed until thieves and other unscrupulous beings start using these places as hideouts. Snakes are not domestic animals, they are not human companions, prevention they say is better than cure. The most horrifying aspect of it is that, most of our lecturers have not graduated from OAU since our halls received its last treatment. Treatment in terms of painting, repairs of window nets etc.
Still decrying the state of our halls, it is very sardonic that most rooms are without illumination some rooms are without doors. Those without illumination are either without bulbs, sockets, and even wire connection. Concomitantly, is it rooms without working wire connection that would have a working socket, bulbs and fans? Absolutely NO. Also, some rooms are without doors not to talk of door locks, this open students to unnecessary hardship. These are your duties, we do not need to tell you. Be responsible. Stop shying away from them. Do not divert funds meant for the welfarism of students to other channels because of shameful wealth accumulation. Do not bring down OAU to mud. Something is very certain, if these halls were privatized you would not have left it the way it is now, you would make it as beautiful as it can in order to maximize your profit because you as well understand that no person would want to pay for a room that is dilapidated. If this is true then, our halls must be made better than that of animals. We are not animals in the halls. If you are rigid on making our hostels suitable for living obviously, it will mean you are tagging us as Animals in these halls. We therefore refute and strongly condemn all sort of incendiary appellations. The bushy parts must be cleared with immediate alacrity and all horrible hands and lackadaisical traits of emotional sluggishness, spontaneously, naturally or intentionally making you not to quickly attend to our needs must be retracted. A responsive and responsible management should always seek in all ramifications the betterment of all students. This is one of the functions of a school. It serves as a custodian of the learners. It is therefore our rights, rather than a privilege to live like students in a conducive and fascinating environment.
On a final note, the street lights on OAU campus must be repaired. It is horrible in fact, terrifying that the management cannot blindfold their eyes from not knowing that our campus which used to be a well illuminated centre of attraction especially at night has been in total darkness. Even if you still came not to know, we demanded through a letter that we say no to darkness and that all the lights should be repaired. A deaf ear have you turned to this. This shows the generality of Great IFE Students the type of phlegmatic management we have. It is so obvious that things on this campus get worse everyday and the management are insensitive to it. Yet, no insults should come to you from us and a stubborn and unyielding management expects obedient and sycophants as students. NO, we are not stupefied, we are not "zombies" who will keep quiet even at the face of injustice and discomfort. We are not in Egypt neither are we Egyptians who would inculcate the spirit of "suffering and smiling" If you are not ashamed of the university you claim to be managing, we are in fact, so ashamed and angry with the welfarism of our students on a campus that ought to be the best in Africa in terms of its infrastructural facilities, basic amenities, et al. The spirit of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and all other heroes who have passed away groans mournfully. Their vision, mission for OAU would definitely hunt and haunt all who have contributed and is still contributing to the oppression and maltreatment students are receiving from the mean spirit.
"The time is always right to do what is right"- Martin Luther King jnr
*OUR DEMANDS*
All our halls of Residence must be fumigated without delays and the fumigation must not be a ruse. It must be done thoroughly. (all blocks and floors.)
All the bushes covering us as though they are blankets must be cut off within the shortest period of time.
In all Halls of Residence, all rooms without illumination, sockets, doors and door locks should be fixed without the usual wont of reluctance.
We are not sons and daughters of darkness. Therefore, our campus must be well illuminated, all disappointing street lights should be repaired.
Before they turn to indeliberate, unintentional and extemporal undug wells through the efforts of cars and bikes, all pot holes on campus most especially at campus gate must be filled.
The porters should be put on their toes and ensure they give recognition and attention to all Great IFE students when they make their complaints.
The security on our campus must remain unflinching and further intensified.
No lecturer should for any reason harass any student on this campus. Signed: *AJIBOYE ADEKANMI A. (EFO)* *WELFARE OFFICER (07063756366)* *BOLUWAJAIYE ADEOLUWA I. (FYNESTBOI)* *SECRETARY GENERAL (08094909939)* *OYEKAN IBUKUN E. (DR IBK)* *PRESIDENT (08133237713)* CC: The University Ag. Vice Chancellor; The Registrar; The Dean Division of Students' Affairs; The Chief Security Officer; National Dailies. |
