OAU Lecturer Murdered Yesterday In Ile-Ife

A lecturer of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr R. Adejobi was reportedly murdered late yesterday evening in his Ile-Ife home.

Details later...

Id-el-fitr: FG Declares July 17, 20 Public Holidays

The Federal Government has declared July 17 and 20, 2015 as public holidays to the mark sallah celebration.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji who made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja, enjoined all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which include love, peace and sacrifice for the development of the nation.

He also urged Nigerians to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “in his determination and sustained efforts towards building a peaceful, united and virile nation.”

Magaji further urged all Nigerians, both at home and abroad to use the occasion to pray for peace and unity across the nation.

The Permanent Secretary wished Nigerians a happy and joyous celebration.

Source: Punch

Naira Drops To A Record Low: N241 Against The Dollar

The naira hit another record low of 241 against the dollar at the parallel market on Monday as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s restrictions on foreign exchange sale fuelled unofficial trade in dollars, Reuters reported.

The ban on importers from accessing the Nigerian foreign exchange markets for the importation of 41 items had led to the volatility of the naira-dollar exchange rate at the black market.

Since June 23 when the new forex rule became operational, the naira has fallen by 10.5 per cent from 218 to 241 against the greenback.

Foreign exchange dealers said the artificial scarcity of the United States currency still pervaded the market.

The new forex rule had led to huge demand at the parallel market, causing dealers to hoard the dollar in anticipation of further fall in the naira
Economic analysts had said the CBN needed to devalue the naira to allow the local currency achieve an equilibrium price against the dollar.

The central bank had however said it would not be focusing on the thinly-traded parallel market when determining the exchange rate, adding that people preferred to use the unofficial market for undocumented transactions.

Foreign investors had been on the sideline, waiting for the CBN to devalue the naira before investing in naira-denominated assets.

Local and foreign analysts had predicted that the naira might hit 250 against the dollar at the parallel market any time soon if the artificial scarcity trend continued.

The central bank appears to be in a fix as the spread between the official and parallel market continues to widen by the day.

Meanwhile, stocks fell to a more than three-month low and the naira on Monday, Reuters reported.

The local bourse, which has the second-biggest weighting after Kuwait on the MSCI frontier market index, dropped for the ninth consecutive day as investors shed banking, consumer and oil shares.


Source: Punch

Crisis Rocks EPSA OAU As Part Three Students Boycott Election

By Durodola Abiola

The association body for students of urban and Regional Planning students in OAU, Environmental Planning Students Association (EPSA) is rocked with crisis over the eligibility of a candidate vying for the post of Vice president.

The department witnessed a shock move by some students of the department who are in their third year as they vowed not to vote and boycott the election that was held on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. There has been lots of argument in the department among students over the eligibility of a Vice Presidential aspirant. Some are of the opinion that anyone from the Part 2 constituency is eligible. However, the students who boycotted the election claim the post of the Vice President for the association should only be open to a part 3 or a part 5 student.

OAU Peeps News Agency reliably gathered that the aggrieved students including contestants among them decided not to participate in the election which eventually held and result has been released since its conclusion. The aggrieved students claim that the Electoral Committee members are been biased in their dealings throughout the electoral processes. While speaking with one of the students on the condition of anonymity, he said the electoral chairperson turned herself into a tyrant, imposing different rules which are not constitutional. He further opined that his classmates are fighting for what is right and will not accept the outcome of the election.
Another student in the class threatened that the entire Part 3 class will not participate in the departmental activities organized by the elected executives even if the election results are accepted by other levels. One of the class representatives also alleged the electoral chairperson to have left her duties and go on to inciting some students to purchase nomination form for various posts.

We further gathered that the issue has degenerated to a show off between the Part 3 Constituency members and those in other constituencies of the department. There are reports however that there is an ongoing peace talk that is involving the president-elect and some other lecturers in the department to ensure the stability of EPSA. All efforts to reach the electoral chairperson has been futile due to ongoing NASU crisis on campus.‎

NASELS Organizes Party, Awards Members

By Emmanuel Kayode

Amid tons of thorny grounds was it that the National Association of English and Literary Studies (NASELS), Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, found a pore to plummet a happy moment for the ongoing NASU strike has paralysed almost everything on the campus.

The department had her annual award night, a night ago albeit there was not much turn up as expected for plenty off campus could not made their ways in due to the school gates which were shot but few that came testified it was filled with fun from the beginning to the end.

Many talented artists were present to perform during the party. The artistes include Emmanuel, Omo mummy just to mention few. Dancers including Mo Slim dance group also performed. Poem was recited by Jodekss Gloatkenf; just to mention few things that took place at the level of AUD II.
Awards were given to some students during the even. Part of the awards given include the most beautiful male and female, the most reserved, the most enterprising, best sportsman and woman, the most articulate and some others.

The party was scheduled to last few hours but it happened all night long.

NASU OAU Steps Up Demonstration Despite School Closure

By Adetula David

The Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter has done nothing less pertaining to her ongoing struggle even as the university management ordered students out of their halls of residence for mid-semester break.

Members of NASU from other universities stormed OAU yesterday to pledge their solidarity to the Union over their fight for the unpaid 64 months hazard allowance they are been owned. Buses from schools like Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osun State University among others with their members were seen at the main gate of the school on Monday. Even though the Road one gate was not totally locked down, no vehicle was allowed into and outside the university.
Suggestions from some quarters have raised concerns on the fate of the NASU struggle following the announcement by the university management that the students should proceed on a mid-semester break. Some people believe that it will mark the end of the struggle. However, against this perception, NASU members have refused to settle for less even as they continue to enjoy solidarity from sister unions and groups.

In what many students have described as a good omen, the chairman of NASU, Comrade Wole Adewunmi allowed for buses to convey students out of the university during the afternoon to ameliorate the suffering of trekking students who are leaving the campus have been subjected to.

The show-off between NASU and the university management will now enter its day 8 if demonstration should continue on Tuesday. Power and water supplies have since been cut from the student Halls of residence since the beginning of the new week.

Australian Government Partners OAU In Agriculture And Mining

The Australian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson, has expressed the readiness of his home government to partner with the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in the areas of Agriculture and Mining.

Mr. Richardson said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Bamitale Omole, in his office.

The Ambassador emphasized the importance of OAU to the overall success of the programme, believing that the 1,240 hectares of land on which the OAU Teaching and Research Farm sits could be of judicious use for the implementation of mechanized farming that would further boost food production.

He commended the University management for having a curriculum that made it compulsory for all part four (IV) students in the Faculty of Agriculture to be on the Farm, thus exposing them to the beauty and gains of farming, thereby sharpening their entrepreneurial skills.

Mr. Richardson disclosed that the Australian government was ready to give scholarship to students who would be willing to go to Australia for their Postgraduate studies in Agriculture and Mining, adding that more than 200 students of Nigerian descent have benefitted from the scheme since its introduction in 2010.

According to him: “Thousands of Nigerians are already in Australia making waves in their chosen fields, particularly in Mining and Agriculture, thereby contributing their own quota to the economy of both Australia and Nigeria. He applauded the administrative expertise of the Vice-Chancellor
in making sure that his (Professor Bamitale Omole's) administration maintained high moral and academic standard, which was in fulfilment of the aspirations of the founding fathers of the University . In his own contribution, a 1979 alumnus of the University and the immediate past Nigeria Ambassador to Australia, Mr. Ayo Olukanni, who was on hand to also receive Mr. Richardson, lauded the Vice-Chancellor for doing a good job on the campus.

He stated that in considering the vast deposits of mineral resources in Nigeria, and the University which has a large expense of land and highly competent manpower, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is the best place to go for collaboration by the Australian government.

He urged Professor Bamitale Omole to keep the flags of the country and that of OAU flying, praying to God to reward him for his selfless service to humanity in general and Nigeria in particular.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole, thanked the Australian Ambassador for finding time to come to OAU despite his busy schedule. He then promised to do all within his power to provide every necessary logistics for the smooth implementation of the partnership between OAU and Murdoch University, Western Australia which is being funded by the Australian government.

Basking in the euphoria of leading OAU to its fourth first consecutive position among more than 100 Universities in Nigeria, Professor Omole assured the Australian Ambassador that his administration would not rest on its oars in providing quality leadership and adequate welfare to both staff and students, vowing to make training and retraining of staff his topmost priority so that they could be current and conform to the dictates of the 21 Century University administration.

The Ambassador was later led to the University's Teaching and Research Farm where he was conducted round by the Director, Professor Sola Ajayi before he came back to the Oduduwa Hall of the University, where he gave a lecture to the students and staff on the topic: “Australia's Place in the World and its Bilateral Engagement with Nigeria”.


Source: OAU News Bulletin, Issue No. 353