OAU Matriculates Over 6,000 Fresh Students

By Uthman Samad

Yesterday,  the management  of Obafemi  Awolowo University Ile-ife  matriculated fresh students Worth 6,650 for the 2018/2019 academic session.

The students  who swore the oat of allegiance  against all vices in the popular  Amphitheater of the university were welcomed to the institution by the Vice chancellor of the institution, Prof,  Eyitope Ogunbodede.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor Congratulated the students for making it out of over 37 thousand students  that sat the Post Unified Tertiary matriculation Examination conducted  by the institution  late last year.

"Inline  with the vision and mission of the founding fathers, the university  has remained  a model in best educational practices  in Africa and a renowned institution  the world over.  Out of the Over 37,059 that made OAU their  first choice, 6,650 were admission.

I congratulate you for being chosen out of the candidates that did the Post UTME admissions screening  for the Obafemi Awolowo University"

He reiterated his commitment  in creating  an enabling  environment  for learning and productivity by plans to add over 10,000 bedspaces to the existing  ones within  the next one year  through  partnership


" The university  management  is partnering  with investors to increase the current  student's accommodation  by an additional  10,000 bedspace within  the next one year.

The VC also added plans to douse the transportation  problem on campus mostly faced by students  staying  off campus since the proclamation of new accommodation policy since last session.


"The university is also procuring  three 30 sitter buses to alleviate the challenges of students  transportation"

Ayomide Israel,  a newly admitted  student of philosophy  while speaking with OAU Peeps News Agency showed happiness being matriculated  after several  attempts.

In his words;
"I am very Happy to be a legal student on this institution after attempts. I am happy and can't  even estimate  my happiness"

Also, Ifeoluwa Mercy, one of the  matriculated student from Department of microbiology who can't  keep her happiness while speaking narrated how she has been praying for years  to witness a day like this

"I have always dreamt of OAU. Though I have always wanted to be a medical  student, but God  brought  still related to it. I am happy to  be matriculated"
Moreover,  Observations  by OAU Peeps News Agency shows that  since 2014 (2013/2014 academic session),  this Year's  admission capacity deviated from the rising figures yearly.

2014(2013/2014)- 5,608
2015(2014/2015)- 6500
2016(2015/2016)- 7500
2017(2016/2017)- 7,500
2018(2017/2018)- 8,158
2019(2018/2019)- 6,650

This arose  by the non- accrediation of 5 departments(Nursing,Botany,Medical Rehabilitation, Law,Fine & Applied Arts) of the institution by National University Commission(NUC) last year, a claim, Abiodun Olanrewaju,  the school public Relations officer substantiated.

Owolabi Miracle,TESA OAU President Impeached for Allegedly Embezzling Association"s Fund

By John Beloved

The parliamentary house of the Technology and Engineering Students" Association (TESA) OAU has impeached Miracle Owolabi as the president of the association on  at a parliamentary sitting held on Thursday April 18,2018.
  OAU Peeps News Agency learnt that before his impeachment, the president had been on an indefinite suspension since November 18 2018 for some gross misconduct.

Investigation conducted by OAU peeps news agency revealed that his suspension which lasted for over 5 months was initially triggered by the  ratification of one Bukunmi, an 100 level school of nursing student located outside Osun state which he brought into the local organisation committee (LOC) to plan a conference that was to be organised by the association.

However his reinstatement lingered as further investigations revealed cases of  "gross misconduct" and his involvement in series of unconstitutional actions which were discovered during the period of his suspension.

Although Miracle Owolabi had written an apology letter and had also appealed to the house to reinstate him the same day of his initial suspension but lot of allegations levied against him during the course of his suspension led to the denial of his request.

After months of suspension, he was impeached based on  summed reasons of alleged embezzlement of funds, Misinforming the house, constitutional aberration and gross misconduct.
He was further charged with failure  to adequately  provide jerseys for 22 out of 43 students who made payment months ago.

However the acting president, Bankole Segun Oludele, speaking with an OAU correspondent affirmed that the president was impeached on Thursday evening during the sitting. He further explained that the decision to impeach Miracle as the president was reached after hours of deliberation.

In his words "He was impeached by the parliamentary body after deliberating on  several allegations levied against him and some that came up later on during the course of this administration.
 I was at the sitting and the matter was deliberated for a long time.
Almost 7 honourable gave recommendations directed towards his impeachment. It was a full house delegation and a unanimous conclusion. Out of 13 honourables, 10 voted for his impeachment when the motion for his impeachment was raised there was no counter motion."

More so while interacting with OAU Peeps News Agency the speaker of the house, Honorable Olatunde taiwo, revealed that president was impeached based on cases of irregularities involving him. Adding that he was not ready to concede to the request of the house and as such deserved impeachment

"The house saw no  reason to allow him continue as the president of the association because he has been under suspension for too long without showing any sign of remorse.
 He has also refused to comply with the recommendation of the house by refunding the money and providing the jerseys for the students." he said

However, all efforts made to reach the impeached president Owolabi Miracle proved abortive as all his lines has been switched off

Before We Accept “The Proposal”

By 'Joba Ojelabi

“Logistics”; the most probable reason when a Nigerian event doesn’t start on time. So much that any experienced Master of Ceremony knows that the first thing to do at an event is to apologize for “starting behind schedule” and if the MC is euphemistic enough, the cause would be “logistics” or in other words, “reasons beyond their control” which leaves any rational mind wondering how feasible this is. How does the organizer of an event in a continent not known so much for natural disasters claim that the organization of an event simply went beyond their control? And this phenomenon becomes so recurrent that it gets it own name; “the African time”. Luckily, Falz, Dike Chukwumerije and the Simply Poetry team has shown us that artists and organisers of Shows can actually be true to time; that if a show is slated for 4:00pm, it can actually start by 4:00pm. Sadly, this was the first failure of Joshua Peter’s “The Proposal”. The first show was slated for 4:00pm but would not start until about 30 minutes after, leaving the early birds not with good seats, but with subtle aches from standing outside Oduduwa Hall longer than planned.

However, as often is with entertainment shows, the thrill of the show helps the audience forget any prior inconvenience and so when the play opens in the sitting room of a Yoruba man, for many, it begins on a clean slate. “The Proposal” just as the name implies walks us through the adventures of a man seeking the hand of woman in marriage, or as the Yoruba more poetically describe the act; a man seeking to harvest a flower from another man’s garden. Interestingly, the play does it with a three-man cast, one location (obviously) and a blend of music, dance and drama.

Another point to note in the musical is the passion with which the actors play their parts. So much that even when the ‘technicalities’ of microphones and speakers or the dreary parts of the script somehow manage to dampen things, it is still hard to ignore the intensity with which all three actors make the best of their roles. However, the thing about singular locations is that at some point, it starts looking unnecessarily long and at this point, “The Proposal” relies on the tool of comedy to keep the audience engaged. Of course, comedy almost always works and like some previous works of Joshua Peters, this one certainly does. The Show also makes an attempt to blend non-modern and contemporary music in its discography, an effort that might not earn all the five stars.

The Production is said to soon commence tour and hopefully, it gets the attention it deserves. For in all, “The Proposal” joins a class of emerging pieces of work that are enough to draw the attention of millennials to the many wonders of the “stage”. And in a time when Cinemas and Laptop screens are the in-thing, “The Proposal” might just be the kind of thing we need to give some life to the arts… 

Allegation Of Dam Poisoning By The OAU Management Is A Lie-- Ooni of Ife

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has described the claim by the management of Obafemi Awolowo University over dam poisoning as unfounded.

The university management of the institution earlier alleged that the indigenes of Ife had poisoned the dam that supplies water to the institution over land dispute.

It was reported that some armed hoodlums who are claiming ownership of some portions of the university land poured poisonous chemicals in the dam which killed all the fishes and aquatic animals there.

 However, the monarch has denied the claim saying it is illogical for his people to poison themselves because a large number of the members of OAU community are indigenes of Ile-Ife.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, the Ooni of Ife said he was surprised that a university could make such a claim.

“How can Ife poison their own people? Either as students, staffers, shop owners or investors, the residents of OAU include more Ile-Ife indigenes than anywhere else. So how is it possible that members of the same family would choose to bomb themselves. That is unimaginable.” he said.

Meanwhile, the management of the university has filed a petition to the Osun State Commissioner of Police, accusing some indigenes of Ile-Ife of poisoning the dam, Premium Times reports.

The petition signed by Eyitope Ogunbodede, Vice-Chancellor, said the security guard at the dam, O.A Omotosho, was overpowered by the alleged invaders.

Hoodlums Invade OAU, Poison Dam Over Land Dispute

By PUNCH Newspapers

The land dispute between the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in Osun State and some indigenes of the ancient town has assumed a new dimension as some of the aggrieved persons, claiming ownership of some portions of the university land, invaded the university on Wednesday and reportedly poisoned the university dam.

Sources in the university told our correspondent on Friday that some indigenes, who claimed their land was taken for the university when it was established in 1962, had been selling some portions of the land.

The sources said the aggrieved indigenes were challenged by the university and stopped from further trespassing.

But the issue was said to have taken another dimension, when some of the aggrieved land owners allegedly invaded the university from the Parakin area and headed for the Opa Dam, which is the only source of water to the university community.

Before the university security operatives could challenge them, the armed hoodlums were said to have poured poisonous chemicals in the dam which killed all the fishes and aquatic animals there.

A worker at the university, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the hoodlums would have caused a disaster in the university if the officials had pumped the water to hostels and staff quarter that day.

He said, “The university’s security personnel raised the alarm after chasing away the hoodlums. Everything inside the dam died and we have not pumped water since that time.”

Based on this, the Vice-Chancellor of the OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, had petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Abiodun Ige, urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.

The vice-chancellor also copied the Director of Department of State Services in Osun State, Mr Brown Ekwoaba, stressing that the university would not engage in any illegal act on the issue.

A source made available a copy of the letter dated April 3, 2019 with reference number:VC.26(i)Vol.Vol.1/64 to our correspondent.

The letter read, “On the 3rd April, 2019 at about 15:00hours, a report of invasion and pollution of the university dam by a group of people, who claimed to be members of Great Ife Development Board was received by the security unit of the university.

“The group of people, who were fully armed with guns, axes, cutlasses, etc, invaded the lower level of OAU dam and polluted the water with chemicals which led to the death of several fishes and other aquatic animals.

The report also indicated that these criminally-minded individuals gained access into the dam through a portion of the university land at Parakin area, Ile-Ife, where there had been several reports of land encroachment by some Ife indigenes.

Late Course Registration To Commence Tomorrow

This is to inform all great Ife students that the normal course registration as stated in the academic calendar will end  Sunday,April 7,2019 while late course registration will commence on Monday April 8,2019.

Dear Fresher- ‘Joba Ojelabi

Dear Fresher,

I write to you to share with you a different perspective to some of the realities that would house you for the next few years. Under normal circumstances, this letter should meet you in a place of excitement and curiosity. After all, it is scientific for any normal creature to want to explore when introduced to novelty. But we are not all always under normal circumstances and this perhaps is first thing you must learn. In the next few days, almost everything you would encounter would be novel to you and as such might require some getting used to, especially the people. Sometimes what you refer to as normal might be grossly abnormal to someone else. In situations where you have to share some resources with such a person, it becomes imperative to find a mutually accepted common ground. This ability to reach compromises you would need as its need would arise in every facet of your new life; in hostels, classrooms, and with things as seemingly meagre as public transport. The sooner you learn to live as a social entity, the easier your settling in becomes. 

However, in as much you must try to integrate into your new society, you must also learn to hold onto the individuality of self. The university is a beautiful place; one that affords a person a lot of opportunities both within and outside the classroom. So, you must learn to maximize your time within these walls, for in the end, it really is every man for himself. However, one thing I have come to find is that the walk-through Ife is easier with the right kind of friends. Therefore, at this stage, it is important to not deeply commit to any alliances until you can adequately determine the personalities involved. This also extends to larger associations, societies and even fellowships. Do take your time to understand what these organizations truly stand for before promising to become a member. The fresh year is often the experimenting year; trying out new things, visiting new places, meeting new people. 

Interestingly, some of these things can have more serious consequences than others. While attending a wide array of fellowships might not have any consequence than perhaps diarrhea from one of the welcome packages, using and abusing drugs might have more life-threatening effects. So Dear Fresher, you must learn to thread with caution in the cause of your experimentation.  

There is a popular saying that it is one the to pass through the school and it is another thing for the school to pass through you. Interestingly, this saying has been the basis of a number of mistakes in the University. Making friends and learning from older colleagues could help with this.

Speaking of older colleagues, I assume that by now you have come by a number of them already. Just as is in life, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Sometimes, it only takes a closer look to know the difference. I did woefully in Moz101 and as much as a part of me hopes that you do too, this is not to say that some of the most beautiful love stories have not come from that legendary carpark. Sadly, some of the most horrible ones have too.

Beyond all, you must strongly commit to your academic pursuit. Whatever goals you have should be clearly spelt out and you should get to work on developing workable strategies to achieving them. However, you must also prepare for other eventualities as you would come to see in time that things do not always go the way we plan them. Personally, I have had some of the worst days of my life on campus but this does not in any way take away the good days. And at the end of it all, it all just goes to show the interesting mix of colours called life. 

Dear Fresher, I don’t write you from a place of perfection and so this might seem to you as mere musings. I have had my highs and lows and have come to discover that sometimes, life is best experienced with a little bit of both. So, as you commence this journey with hope and excitement, I hope you are able to find and focus on the things that really matter and at the end of it all, I hope that you know happiness. For perhaps that is all that truly matters.

Regards,
‘Joba Ojelabi