Reactions Trail OAU Governing Council Dissolution

Consequential to the unprecedented intervention of the Federal Government in the crisis rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University, on the evening of Thursday, 30th June, 2016, several persons have come out to comment on the rather controversial action of the Federal Government.

Mallam Adamu, through the Network Television Authority and publication in some popular Newspapers, announced the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Port-Harcourt, he also announced the suspension of the process of the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor for the former.

In response to this, many students and staff have made several comments on this actions as while some believe that the President, being the Visitor of the Institution, has the power to take such actions, some believe that Mr President might actually be breaking a few laws in dissolving the Ndoma Egba led Council.

Was President Buhari right to have dissolved the OAU Governing Council or he was ill-advised? Students react.

'Dozie, Faculty of Law
OAU as it is now is marred with confusion and there is a need, I think to stabilize the situation pending normalcy which it the exercise of the state of the state of emergency power granted by the president in Section 305 of the 1999 constitution. This talks about the power to act in Emergency stations even though is not expressly stated as the reason for the president's action. Going by the above, I opine that the advice was not wrong.

Kemi, Department of Family Nutrition and Consumer Sciences
I feel it's a slap on the face of the management for the F.G to even have to intervene at all, then I think it might raise some more issues.

Ayanfe, Faculty of Pharmacy
They should have been investigated by a panel before dissolution, for the process to be fair.

Samuel
The decision is quite right. At least this will help in the stability of OAU's academic calendar.

Babatunde
The dissolution, from my own point of view is for the main time in order to just rectify the misunderstanding.

Odusanya
Well, in supporting Olawale's view, there won't be continuity in the government which may in turn lead to a case whereby an outsider will emerge as the new vice chancellor. This kind of struggle occurred at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in 2006/2007. Prof. Adu was embarrassed by the Unions like OAU's. Obasanjo intervened then and Prof. Olaiya Balogun, the former Deputy Vice Chancellor at University of Ilorin was appointed as the VC in 2007, hence, in terms of regulation of calendar, innovations, infrastructural development and welfare of both students and workers, Prof. Balogun has been the best in the history of FUNAAB till today. This could be possible because an outsider will definitely want to impress both the students and workers that he is capable unlike insider who usually follow trend. May God help us!

Oluniyi
Ill advised? Don't think so. President Muhammadu Buhari actually did the right thing as it will help relief the tension that has already been built in past weeks. Whichever way, I belief with the dissolution, the concerned party who are the students would be allowed to resume back to their studies while the process of appointment continues without causing further hinderance to academic activities.

Yakubu
I think the dissolution would be followed by an investigation of the happenings over the years in OAU, years of corruption, mismanagement. It would at least change the status quo of administrative ineptitude of the past.

Chiamaka
He was ill advised. This decision, I think, will lead to strings of court cases, in addition to the court case NASU already has which will likely postponed till God-knows-when due to the Eid ul Fitr.