Second Hand Over Meeting Breaks Down

By Adetula David

What many observers of the Union politics has termed ‘do me, I do you’ played out yesterday at the level of Awolowo hall cafe as the outgone Students’ Union leadership led by Ibikunle failed to turn up for the hand over meeting organized by the probe committee.

The handing over was billed for 12:00pm on Saturday, July 11 and out of the previous nine (9) Central Executive Council members, only the former Secretary General, Shittu Omotayo a.k.a SI Unit was on ground to answer questions as to why his colleagues have refused to honour the invitation given to them. SI Unit said the reason why the other former executives were not around was because no invitation was sent to them by the current Union leadership to come for handing over.

“I am still a student of this campus; the executives themselves should contact me, not probe committee. That is why sometimes when they approach me, I tell them I don’t have business with you and I must be frank with you, I don’t have business with probe committee because their duty is to investigate and not to hand over to” SI Unit said.
SI Unit further said that the students know the politics that played out at the level of the congress when the probe committee was constituted because the congress belongs to the president of the Union. He said if any committee should even come on board, it is a transition committee and not a probe committee.

The probe committee has however expressed surprise over the absence of the previous Union leadership in the meeting because according to the committee PRO, Triple A, invitations were sent to concerned parties including the previous president and financial secretary about 72 hours before the meeting.

Also commenting on the issue, the Students’ Union president, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY ruled out the possibility of him going against the congressional resolution reached before now to meet directly with the previous Union leaders as they have requested and not through any probe committee. The financial secretary of the Union, AY SUG also expressed worries over the conduct of the previous excos and called on Great Ife students to come to their rescue.

It will be recalled that the first handing over facilitated by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) which had majority of the previous SU Central Executive Council members present was boycotted by the new Union leadership on the excuse that the probe committee is the one in charge of such meeting and should be facilitated by the committee.

Wimbledon: Serena Williams Wins 21st Grand Slam Title

Serena Williams has defeated Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4 to win her 6th Wimbledon Championship and her 21st Grand Slam title.

Congratulations!

OAU Likely To Be Shut Down On Monday

By Adetula David

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 inconvinience persists. According to the Union leader, the implication of the Students’ Union shutting the university clearly means that only the Union has the jurisdiction to 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 don't 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.

1st Professor Remi Raji Writing Contest

Apart from his meritorious service as the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Professor Remi Raji of the University of Ibadan has contributed immensely to the development of African writing. With his six Poetry collections, Prof. Remi Raji has employed his words and wits in engaging readers globally on revolutionary thinking.

It is on this backdrop that The Reflector Team officially launches the 1st Professor Remi Raji Writing Contest.

(This first edition is open to students of OAU and UI only)

Themes:
Submissions for the ESSAY should be centered around:
"RESHAPING NIGERIA: What Can We The Youths Do?"

Submissions for the POETRY should be centered around:
"VOICE OF HOPE"

Guidelines:
- Entries should be in Microsoft Word and should be mailed to teamreflector@yahoo.com and/or teamreflector@gmail.com.
- Entries must have a Cover Page containing entrant's Name, Dept./Level, Phone Number, E-mail address, Title of Entry, and Word Count.
- Entries must not exceed 800 words (for Essays) or 40 lines (for Poems).
- Entrants must be undergraduate students of OAU or UI.
- Deadline: 31st July, 2015. (11:59pm GMT+1)

PRIZES:
For Essay:
#10,000 ¦¦ #7,000 ¦¦ #5,000

For Poetry:
#10,000, ¦¦ #7,000 ¦¦ 5,000

And several other complementary prizes to be won.

For more info, contact:
www.teamreflector.org
Twitter: @TeamReflector
Esther: 07060523808
Timi: 08172565695

Don't delay! Start scribbling.

The Sacrifices Of Our Heroes Past- Pope Jay

"...I send this message so that our past would always be remembered, for in those memories... 

WE LIVE ON! "

As a Nigerian child who enjoyed a reasonable level of Civic Education, the clause "The Labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain" is one that echoes in my very subconscious but I have often wondered if the word labour is enough to describe the contributions of these heroes past. Perhaps it refers to the early patriots, the ones who initiated and completed the process of independence; Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Tafawa Balewa,Chief Nnamdi Azikwe and others.
Labour is defined as one's physical or mental effort but our history books tell us that these men didn't just make effort, some were imprisoned, some tortured and some ultimately lost their lives in patriotic service, it would then be an understatement to describe the contributions of these legends as just labour.
  

 

  In OAU, one of our legends is Iwilade George "Afrika". Afrika and the July 10 martyrs are and would be remembered not just for their labour but for their sacrifice and in as much as it saddens us every July 10 that they had to ultimately pay with their lives, we are consoled knowing that their death is not in vain. Recently I had the opportunity to visit another school, a tertiary institution in the southwest and I realized the magnitude of what the July 10 reawakening did to OAU. I would then like to call on the entirety of Great Ife that we move aside our struggles and superficial internal crisis because today is the day we dedicate to the Sacrifices of Our Heroes Past!

#July10 #WeSayNoToCultism

Pope Jay

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Please remember to share for the benefit of  our youths.

OAU Students Insist On Going Home As Congress Agrees On Lecture Boycott

Many students of Obafemi Awolowo University have said they can no longer withstand the hardship they have been subjected to for the past three (3) days due to the demonstrations of the Non Academic Staff Union, NASU over their unpaid allowances.

The congress of students was conveyed yesterday to take positions on some Union matters which include the NASU protests. Just as the Students' Union president stated that particular agendum concerning the campus situation, the students echoed that they want to go home in a popular students' protest slogan. 'a o lole wa ni o a o a, a o lole wa ni o' (we will go to our houses, we will go to our houses). The Union president, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY who felt reluctant in succumbing to that demand stated that submissions will be taken to decide the SU stand. In TY's personal submission, he felt the students should embark on lecture boycott instead of the initial demand of going home.

After several submissions were taken, the president posited and announced that a congressional resolution of lecture boycott has been agreed to solidarize with NASU.

In the mean time, power and water supplies have ceased totally for more than 24 hours. This has forced some students to resolve to stream water to meet some of their primary needs.

Some students who spoke with our correspondents however have dissenting opinions ranging from total school closure to negotiation with NASU.

"Why should we still stay on campus? No light, no water, health centre closed, library closed, no lecture, banks closed, gate closed and yet, the Union want us to stay with NASU. As I speak to you, I have not taken my bath since morning because there is no water. It is not normal at all" Biodun, a Fajuyian lamented.

In a slight different opinion, one Tolu feels the Union should negotiate with NASU to restore power and water supplies.

NASU protest will enter its fifth day if it should continue tomorrow.