STUDENTS’ UNION
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY
Tuesday, 28th August 2007.


Press Statement

PROF. MICHAEL FABORODE
Stop Further Onslaught against the Union

We of the Students’ Union call on the academic community and the Nigerian public to prevail on Prof. Michael Faborode, the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), to stop further attacks on Students Union activists and the democratic rights of the generality of students. We make this call in order to avoid needless crisis on campus and further disruption of the academic calendar.

We draw the attention of the Nigerian public and indeed the University community to the current threat of the authorities contained in a Special Release signed by A.O Ogunruku, the Registrar of the University that the accommodations of the seven (7) Union leaders and activists who were recently invited to appear before a Disciplinary Panel have been revoked and that they are not to be found around the Halls of Residence. The affected Union leaders are Dairo Olatunde (Pro, Students’ Union), Owoeye David Durotimi (Lord Chancellor, Judicial Council), Ogumah Andrew Segun (Speaker, Students Representative Council), Babatunde Hakeem (Welfare Officer), Alabi Frank Olakunle (Chairman Awolowo Hall), Comrades Onyinyechi and Hassan Taiwo (both student activists). In order to give effect to this threat, on Monday 27th, August 2007 at about 9am, the room officially allocated to the Chairman of Awolowo Hall, Alabi Frank Olakunle was busted by University security on the orders of the Vice Chancellor; the doors were jerked off while his properties were carted off. Also, there are plans to mete out this treatment to all other Union leaders.

We want the whole world to know that this violent step already taken by the management goes contrary to the interlocutory injunction order of a Federal High Court. Osogbo which has restrained the management from taking further actions against the Union. Just like the illegal arrest and detention of the Union President Akinola Saburi about a month ago, this action is as well illegal and shall be resisted by the mass of students because illegal laws are not meant to be obeyed.

Also, the management in the same Special Release has threatened that no students must “squat” in the Halls of Residence. Already, they have started screening out students from the halls since yesterday when school resumed, this has therefore caused harrowing crisis for thousands of students. However, we insist that the situation where students have to squat is caused first of all by successive Nigerian anti-poor governments who have paid lip-service to funding of education but most particularly by the Prof. Michael Faborode-led management which mismanaged allocation of spaces last semester. The mis-management was so outrageous that students embarked on 2-day lecture boycotts. Therefore, Michael Faborode and members of his kitchen cabinet who stole student spaces and gave it out to their children and friends’ wards have no moral authority whatsoever to threaten students not to “squat”. Instead, Prof Fabrode should use the enormous resources he is wasting to pursue vendetta against the Union to provide decent accommodation to students.

Last but not the least, we again for the umpteenth time warn the management to desist from our Union. Unfortunately, like the proverbial hunter’s dog destined to get lost, the Prof Michael Faborode-led management has turned a deaf ear to all advice from members of the University community and Nigerians. Instead of allowing peace to reign, the management has increased its attack on Union by setting up a Students’ Transition Committee and arm twisting leaders of the Students Union. Last week, the Management sent threatening invitation letters to the homes of Union leaders to compel their parents to come to campus for a meeting to allegedly “resolve the current crisis”. Contrary to this seemingly innocuous purpose, the real aim of this meeting which took place yesterday 27th August 2007 was to break the will of the Union leaders through parental pressures. This underscores how Prof. Michael Faborode can be so wicked as to break the homes of Union activists in order to force them to succumb. As far as we are concerned, we remain undaunted. We shall continue to discharge our duties according to the mandate and confidence reposed in us by great Ife students. We have and shall again declare the Students’ Transition Committee which Michael Faborode is trying to impose on students null and void. We promise to do everything possible through political mass actions to crush it alongside the illegitimate University management. While welcoming all students back to campus, we shall end by saying that the battle line is drawn, independent unionism is not negotiable. The only solution is for he management to hands of our Union.


WE DEMAND:-

(1) Immediate and unconditional release and reinstatement of Akinola Saburi the President of OAU Students’ Union who is currently incarcerated in Ilesha Prison.
(2) Halt to all attacks on Union leaders and activists. Immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all politically victimized student leaders.
(3) Accommodation is a right, not a privilege. For immediate provision of adequate accommodation and decent living conditions for students.
(4) Respect for the democratic rights of students to freedom of association and expression.
(5) Immediate removal of Prof. M.O Faborode and dissolution of his kitchen cabinet for high-handedness, penchant for violating court orders, and brazen mis-management of University funds.
(6) Democratization of the decision making organs of Universities and education sector in general with elected representatives of students and staff Unions.
(7) Proper funding of education with at least 26% of the annual budgetary allocation.




ANDREW OGUMAH SEGUN DAIRO OLATUNDE
Speaker, Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Public Relations Officer