₦airaland Forum

Scores of Obafemi Awolowo University students have joined several other prominent Nigerians to condole with the Awolowo family over the demise of Mama Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, the wife of the foremost Nigerian leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The students arrived the Awolowo family compound in Ikenne, Ogun state at about some minutes past 4pm and were received by the eldest daughter of the late icon, Mrs Omotola Oyediran Awolowo and other family members.

In the condolence message of the students which was delivered by the Students’ Union president, Omotayo Akande a.k.a TY, he craved the indulgence of the family to introduce the leadership of the Union present and he went further to say that the students of OAU afforded the long trip even in the midst of their examinations because of the immense contributions of the family to the creation and development of the institution.

The vice president of the SU, Oladunjoye Opeyemi a.k.a Oprah and the chairman of Awolowo Hall, Aro also corroborated the president’s words by describing mama as someone of great significance and a role model especially to many women. They however promised the family that her name will forever be remembered within the Great Ife community.

Responding to the students, the eldest daughter of the deceased appreciated them for taking out time to come that far and prayed that God would grant them a safe journey back to Ife. She said that they are all celebrating the dedication of Papa (Obafemi Awolowo) and Mama (H.I.D Awolowo) and therefore advised the students to be dedicated to good cause.

“Many politicians have died and they are not celebrated. We are all celebrating the dedication of papa and mama. Please shun cultism and face your studies and you will be celebrated too. We miss mama.”

She also used the opportunity to invite the students to the burial ceremony of mama which will come up on November 25, the day HID Awolowo would have been a 100 years old.

Mama Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo passed on to glory on 19th September, 2015 at the ripe age of 99. She was the First Lady of Western Region, Nigeria between October 1, 1954 and October 1, 1960.

Friday, 17 July 2015

By Adetula David

In reaction to the Circular issued by the management of Obafemi Awolowo University directing members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) to resume work on or before next week Tuesday, the Union has said the management will get a desired response very early on Tuesday morning.

Aggrieved by the direction of the university management, the NASU chairman, Comrade Wole Odewunmi has ruled out the possibility of his members resuming back to work on Tuesday if the Management does not accede to their demands. In a telephone chat with our correspondent, Comrade Odewunmi asserts the NASU’s position as situation currently stands.

“Our reaction to it (Circular) will come next week Tuesday by the grace of God as early as possible because we have got the paper and we have prepared our own too.

“There is nothing of such (possibility of compliance to the management’s directive). On Tuesday morning, as early as possible, the University authority will see the NASU in flying colours... They will see us in flying and thick colour.

“I can promise you that on Tuesday morning, in this school, they will know that the NASU is part and parcel of this university.”

Comrade Odewunmi also denied reports that the NASU OAU has written to the Federal Government on the matter. According to him, the Union wants to exhaust all means to get to the desired point.

The NASU Chairman also confirmed their meeting with the Ooni of Ife. He said the meeting with Ooni allowed them to concede power and water supplies for 3 days. Comrade Odewunmi further denied reports credited to the University Public Relations Officer, Mr Biodun Olanrewaju that the Police dismantled their barricade. He said his members never mounted any barricade since they returned from the meeting with Ooni of Ife and as such no barricade was dismantled.

With this, the NASU seems not to have subscribed to the same page with the management yet. The question on the lips of many Great Ife students since the news of resumption date announcement filtered out has been; will lectures really resume on Tuesday when the NASU is yet to be settled? Tuesday is about four (4) days away from now.

creamycute:
Thank God o...oau makes grand record by resuming from a strike action just after a week.

This great news.


I REP GREAT IFE

boboLIL:
I see as unserious students happy now.......

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has declared a mid-semester break whereby students are expected to vacate the university community for a period of time yet to be communicated.

This was part of the resolutions of the management following an emergency senate that held on Sunday to review the current campus situation.

A circular issued at the end of the Senate which was signed by the University Registrar, Dotun Awoyemi reads “The Senate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has approved that the students of the University proceed on a mid-semester break with effect from Monday, July 13, 2015. Consequently, all students are advised to vacate the Halls of Residence. The date of resumption will be announced later.”

Though the University management has not tied the mid-semester break to the ongoing NASU protests and strike action, however, indications from several quarters have suggested that the mid-semester break is coming as a result of the agitations by the Students’ Union for a better welfare conditions which can no longer be guaranteed since the members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) who are in charge of power and water supplies have downed tools.

Earlier, the Students’ Union president, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY has said that he will convey a congress of students on Monday to discuss the total closure of the university should the management fail to accede to the three (3) basic demands of the students at the moment which include power supply, water supply and free flow of vehicles within the university community.

NASU has since upper week Friday, 3rd of July held the university to a standstill as the main entrances to the university were locked up and also retrieved water and power supplies for most periods. The struggle embarked upon by NASU is due to the non payment of the 64 months arrears of her members’ hazard allowances.

The disruption of academic, administrative and economic activities as a result of the demonstrations of the members of the Non Academic Staff Union, NASU OAU over their unpaid accumulated 64 months allowances may lead to the closure of the university anytime from Monday, July 13.

The Students’ Union president, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY addressing the journalists today confirmed his knowledge of the campus situation and has said the Union is observing events critically. The president has said he is waiting till Monday when a Congress of students will be called to determine on shutting down the university if the current situation of inconvenience persists. According to the Union leader, the implication of the Students’ Union shutting the university clearly means that only the Union can re-open it upon recommendations by leaders to her members.

TY further expressed displeasure over the hardship students have been subjected by the fight between NASU and the management. He described the polluted environment of the university as students sitting on ‘time bomb’ as endemic can break out any moment from now.

“As a Students’ Union leadership, what we have to do is to try to ensure our students do not suffer for what they have to suffer for... Our solidarity with NASU is not only based on principle but also based on ameliorating the poor welfare conditions of our students.

“We demanded for an emergency meeting with the management which we had yesterday. Management said we should try to hold on and we made it clear to them, the issue of that our students have resolved not to go to classes does not mean that you (management) and NASU should continue to punish us. That we are still on this campus alone is still punishment. Resolve with NASU and if you don’t resolve with NASU, give us light, water and vehicular movement and our students will go to class.

“...the last time a hostel was cleaned on this university campus was last week Thursday. That means this university as I speak with you is sitting on a ‘time bomb’ because at any time from now, there can be an endemic. That is the consequence!

NASU’s position
The chairman of NASU OAU, Comrade Wole Adewunmi has told journalists late last week that he does not see an end in the tunnel of the current struggle because his members are not satisfied with the commitment and promise of the management so far.

OAU Olofofo reported that the NASU chairman admitted meeting with the management in the course of the week but nothing fruitful has come forth from the meeting.

“We have been having dialogues and series of meetings here and there. They kept promising, promising and promising until today that we have finally realized that they (university management) are not serious and they do not know what they are doing. So it is better we swing into action because if we were to count the months now, it is about 64 months. How can you owe somebody an arrear of 64 months?

“We met with them yesterday, and we had a discussion. The registrar was representing the university management. They made a promise and documented and signed on agreement. Our members however were not satisfied with the decision. So I met with our members and unanimously decided to continue with the protest.

Aside the bulletin pasted around the university campus by the management before the commencement of NASU’s protests detailing the non-availability of fund as the reason for not acceding to NASU’s demands, the University management is yet to release any official statement on the current situation of campus especially the welfare of students since the demonstration.

The last time Obafemi Awolowo University witnessed normalcy as to her activities was Thursday, July 2.

On the 27th of June this year, Onoriode Reginald Aziza, a graduate from the prestigious Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University will be having his graduation ceremony from Cambridge University. Bellanaija profiles the outstanding excellence of Onoriode in an interview. Relax and read:

The star of today’s show is deserving of all the celebration we can muster because he has distinguished himself on three different levels of academic pursuit. Graduating from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife , with a first class degree, he went on to achieve the same feat at the Nigerian Law School. In June 2015, Onoriode Reginald Aziza graduated from the Cambridge University with another first class degree.

Onoriode’s father is a retired civil servant, and his mother is a professor at the Delta State University. Talking about his parents, he says that his father counselled consistent hard work.

We love the raw honesty and brilliance of Onoriode’s story! “Although I had a penchant for childish excesses, good parental discipline and support from my siblings led me in the right path, and into starting my schooling at a tender age. I believe this gave me a spirit of extreme determination, a trait I believe, is my most distinct feature."

When you read the story, you’ll know why our excitement knows no bounds.

I Was Never a Genius
After strenuous struggles at the prestigious Kings College Lagos, I was admitted to study law in Obafemi Awolowo University at 15. Young, naïve and free-spirited, I took up the challenge of studying law – and a daunting challenge it was! My initial years were rough. I initially had a writing style used across all examinations, but wildly fluctuating grades quickly taught me to pick courses only after careful enquiry, and tailor examination answers to the tastes of the particular lecturers. After initial skirmishes with unpleasant grades, I later became consistent and my CGPA hovered around a 4.4 from the second semester of my third year until my very last result. The fact that I am the only first class graduate of the Faculty of Law in the last four years confirms the difficulty of the task.

The Daunting Feat of Law School
Proceeding to the Nigerian Law School at 20 presented even more challenges: I was forced to compete with my colleagues in the Yenagoa Campus and with the five other campuses of the Law School system; I was exposed to seminar-styled lectures sometimes running into six hours in length with only a thirty minute break, as opposed to the maximum of two-hours I was accustomed to in the university; I was compelled to challenge myself on a national scale against the best and brightest of students around Nigeria; and I was constantly reminded that as the best graduating law student from OAU, I had to replicate this excellence on a national scale. I had the benefit of fantastic lecturers at the Yenagoa Campus of the Law School who showed me the nuances of the system and how to make the most of it. After ceaseless hours of working through the year and during the externship programs, I sat the bar examinations and made my 2nd first-class and finished as the second best in Nigeria.

I recall joking with my friends that whilst I do not have the dexterity of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo on a football pitch, I may have the ability to score a hat-trick of first-class results...

The kidnapped lecturer of Environmental Design & Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr Femi Omisore has been released during the early hours of today.

In a report posted on Punch, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, OAU chapter, Dr Caleb Aborisade confirmed his release.

It will be recalled that Omisore was abducted on his way to a funeral ceremony at Oye Ekiti two Saturday ago.


http://www.oaupeeps.com/2015/05/kidnapped-oau-lecturer-regains-freedom.html

Electronzeez:
I followed you and other debaters like e.paul snoop.y through out the time OAU stayed on that debate. I think it is evident that you have greatly improve with word usage, i like those parts you played with words. .

Don't be curious, if no one is noticing healthy 'cerebra' like yours people like me are noticing.

Electronzeez:
I am a witness to your writting improvement .

Bigdocemo:
Aiit, I hope he won't use a quantity material for you.

Bigdocemo:
N7,900 @CarlCare Ikeja

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, is reluctant to clear the air on the anti-Igbo statements attributed to him on Sunday, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

During a courtesy visit by Eze Ndigbos (Igbo traditional rulers) in all the local governments in Lagos at the Oba’s palace, Mr. Akiolu reportedly said that the Igbos resident in Lagos should cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akinwunmi Ambode, or perish inside the lagoon.

PREMIUM TIMES’ reporters were not at the event where Mr. Akiolu spoke. But repeated efforts by this newspaper to reach the Lagos monarch on Monday for his reaction were unsuccessful.

When this newspaper called the Oba on his mobile telephone on Monday morning, his aide, who answered the call, said Mr. Akiolu was in a meeting and could not immediately respond to the matter.

Our reporter stressed the urgency of our enquiry and requested the aide to help pass our message to the monarch without delay.

He promised to do that after explaining that he (aide) was not competent to confirm or deny what the Oba said at the event.

But over two hours after our call, the Oba’s palace is yet to revert to us. Subsequent phone calls to the monarch’s telephone lines were unanswered.

However, four people, including a journalist, who were at the meeting at the Iga Idunganran palace on Lagos Island confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Akiolu indeed made the statements attributed to him.

One of those who was at the meeting said that after Mr. Akiolu ended his diatribe to the Igbo leaders, he walked out on them.

“When he came down the stairs to meet with us, he was already vibrating with anger,” said a source who preferred not to be named.

Gordian Ojiako, Eze Ndi-Igbo in Amuwo-Oriade, confirmed the incident adding that Mr. Akiolu said worse things to them before storming out of the room.

“It will be wrong to challenge him inside his palace,” Mr. Ojiako told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, adding that he was not yet ready to speak to journalists on the matter.

“We will go back and convene a meeting of Igbo stakeholders and respond to him appropriately.”

Mr. Akiolu had reportedly dared the Igbo chiefs to go against his wish in the forthcoming governorship election and face his wrath.

“On Saturday, if anyone of you goes against Ambode who I picked, that is your end. If it doesn’t happen within seven days, just know that I am a bastard and it is not my father who gave birth to me,” major national newspapers quoted the monarch as saying.

“Jonathan is my son and I speak to him everyday. By the grace of God, I am the owner of Lagos for the time being. This is an undivided chair. The palace belongs to the dead and those coming in the future.

“On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos State, the person is going to die inside this water.

Mr. Ambode of the APC and Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are the two major contenders in the governorship election holding on April 11 across the country.

Last year, Mr. Akiolu had endorsed the candidature of Mr. Ambode, urging Lagosians to cast their votes for him.

But there are indications that the Igbos resident in Lagos will, like they did in the presidential election, vote massively for the PDP.

In the presidential election, the APC defeated the PDP by 160,000 votes, with a huge chunk of the latter’s votes coming from Igbo dominated areas.

The PDP also won three House of Representatives’ ticket in Lagos – all of them in areas where the Igbos have a majority population.

Mr. Akiolu reportedly said he would not beg the Igbos in Lagos to cast their votes for the APC candidate.

“I’m not ready to beg you. Nobody knew how I picked Ambode. Jimi (Agbaje) is my blood relation and I told him that he cannot be governor in Lagos for now,” he said.

“The future belongs to God. I am not begging anybody, but what you people cannot do in Onitsha, Aba or anywhere, don’t do it here. If you do what I want, Lagos will continue to be prosperous for you. If you go against my wish, you will perish in the water.”

The monarch noted that Mr. Ambode would continue the progress and development of the state.

“I am for the progress, growth and development of Lagos. Ambode is highly cerebral, he’s a symbol and he is going to deliver the message which I, the Oba of Lagos, have said. And he will govern the state for another eight years,” he said.

“He is going on a mission and God will give him the wisdom and knowledge to fulfill that mission. Almost a year ago, I declared that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos and it will not change.

“From time immemorial, the previous occupiers of this house will say what they wanted after consultations with other people. And this hasn’t changed and it will not change at this time.”

Mr. Akiolu further said that Lagos is poised to regain all it had lost since Independence, adding that Mr. Ambode’s administration would be a government of progress.

“And because of Ambode, I went to Mecca, Saudi Arabia and I gave all the groups there $250, 000 to pray for Ambode. So how can I say something and some people will go against it?”

“For the Igbos and others in Lagos, they should go where the Oba of Lagos head to. When they were coming to the state, they didn’t come with all their houses. But now they have properties in the state. So they must do my bidding. And that is the bidding of the ancestors of Lagos and God.”

Responding, Mr. Ojiako promised Mr. Akiolu that the Igbos would support the APC in the gubernatorial election in the state.

“The mistake of last Saturday was caused by everybody, not only the Igbos. It is not only the Igbos that were responsible for the votes. But we have learnt our lesson. Saturday’s election is going to be a different thing and Ambode is going to win,” Mr. Ojiako, who spoke on behalf of the Igbo Chiefs, reportedly said.

“Everybody knows that when you fail the first time, you cannot afford to fail again. We are going to tell our people that Ezes from the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas are here and that we have sworn with the Oba that we are going to make sure that Ambode wins next Saturday’s election.”