Students' Union Suspension: NANS Drums Support For OAU Students

The South-West chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has warned the management of Obafemi Awolowo University concerning its decision to suspend the Students’ Union of the institution.

It will be recalled that the Senate of the University took this decision to suspend the Union on Friday amidst fears that the students, who held a lecture boycott on Monday because of the poor living condition on campus, would stage a protest and try to disrupt the coronation of the new Ooni of Ife. The students and the leadership of the Students’ Union have denied such plan and they claim the Vice-Chancellor is only trying to cover up his corrupt deeds. The students have since been asked to go on a compulsory “mid-semester break”as the campus remains on a lockdown.

In this regard, the Public Relations Officer of NANS Zone D chapter released a statement and warned that all hell will break loose if the Students’ Union of the institution is not restored. Below is the statement;

THE MANAGEMENT, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY ILE-IFE: TO BE FORE WARNED IS TO BE FORE ARMED.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them when doing it without action.

The leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students, South West has long observed with all seriousness, the tyrannical and undemocratic rule of the OAU management, it is regrettable that we are witnessing a complete denegation of education and lack of fore sight.

It is so saddening, ridiculous and satanic for the management of a school like OAU to come out with the ban of the Students Union in this democratic and civilized 21st century. The Students Union is not a cube of sugar that anybody can just think of dissolving at his/her will. The Union is meant for the students and it should not be tampered with by any Government, Management or persons either within or outside the school.

We received the news with concerns that the Prof. Omole led administration has refused to learn from history and failed to have the right understanding of what Students unionism is. Banning or suspending Students unionism is same as making students lose their studentship and their inalienable constitutional right of freedom of association thus automatically turning the university campus to a prison yard and making it a haven for secret unions to thrive in their nefarious activities.

Beyond hypocrisy, the decision of the OAU management is barbaric and uninformed. The demands of OAU students are genuine and fundamental but the management left them unaddressed, chasing shadows. Our Union is the only symbol of our unity and anyone who obstructs our unity has murdered peace, progress and sleep AND SHALL SLEEP NO MORE! For crying out loud, since when has it become a crime for students to demand potable water, stable electricity, and good hostel accommodation which they have paid for as well as the reinstatement of their colleague that was unjustly suspended some years back?

We are using this medium to declare to OAU management that NANS South West is standing in solidarity with OAU students on their demands and on the demands we stand till they are properly addressed. For the purpose of records, we are sounding it loud and clear that if any groups of persons in the name of leaders of NANS at any level are assuring OAU management of peace where there is none or pledging to betray the genuine fight of the Students, it will be resisted vehemently. The present leadership of NANS Zone D has a zero tolerance for any Vice Chancellor, Rector or Provost who refuses to listen to the yearnings of Students and Staff , and worse still attempts to draw us back to the unprogressive era of banning Students unionism. That fashion is old, obsolete, satanic and not longer acceptable. This same OAU management militarised this same campus during the last struggle of the OAU NASU and now, it is the turn of Nigerian students. Let the management be aware that we are in a civilized society, and that a University with vision and mission is not run in this destructive way.

We hereby call on the OAU management to reverse the Draconian decisions and address the trending issues immediately. To be fore warned is to be fore armed!

Signed:
Comrade Awowole Samuel (Awo Sam)
NANS ZONE D P.R.O



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OYA Magazine To Celebrate 100 Students That Shaped OAU In 2015

OYA Magazine To Celebrate 100 Students That Shaped OAU In 2015

In recent times, there have been growing involvement of youth in different spheres. The impact made by these youth has not gone unnoticed by the team at OYA Magazine who will be conducting a list of 100 students that shaped OAU in 2015. We call them the most outstanding students in OAU (#OYAOAU100). they cut across several industries ranging from politics, entrepreneurship, arts, entertainment, to name a few.

The goal of #OYAOAU100 is to recognise and appreciate individuals whose dedication has driven them to make a difference in various fields in school and even beyond the walls of this great citadel.

Nominations have commenced and it will close on December 14. This is done in order to discover and help bring the names of those excelling in their fields to the fore.

We urge the public to nominate, bearing in mind that it is about celebrating outstanding young achievers and not about popularity contest or social media clout. The panel will make the final decision based on thorough examination of each nominee.

These are the categories:

1) Academics (All Departments)
2) Arts (Writing, Fine Arts, Photography, Graphics Design)
3) Entertainment (Music, Dance, Comedy, Compere, Events)
4) Entrepreneurship
5) Fashion (Style and beauty, Fashion Designers, Models, Make-Up artistes, Fashion Entrepreneurs)
6) Media (Social Media, Journalism, Magazine, Publishing, OAP)
7) Politics (Advocacy, Non-Governmental Organisations, Activism, Union Leaders Departmental Executives, Organisation Leaders)
8) Religion (Religious leaders, Executives)
9) Sports
10) Technology

Kindly follow this link to make your nominations

Nigerian Campus Editors Describe OAU SU Suspension As Return To Autocracy

Campus Editors across Nigerian tertiary institutions have voiced out their opinion on the recent suspension of the Obafemi Awolowo University Student Union by the Management of the institution, they described the development as a return to autocracy.

In a Press Statement issued by the umbrella body for the Editors; National Association of Nigerian Campus Editors (NANCE), it commended the coordination of Ife student and questioned the resolve of the Bamitale Omole led administration to suspend the Union activities without any reason.

"The news of suspension of OAU Student Union activities came to us as a rude shock. We have been following the trend of activities of Obafemi Awolowo Student Union in the past few days, we must commend the great coordination of Ife students in exercising their rights and also showing they are conscious.

"In any sane assembly, the right to peaceful assembly is never a disputed fact and now that even at the federal level, youths are given the platform to air their thoughts, a democratic and responsible leadership even make available ways by which people can make their opinions known. Professor Bamitale-led administration has decided to rule without criticism, even Obama does not enjoy that opportunity.

"In Nigeria, when a critic comes up, the sitting government will always find a way to frustrate efforts of such critic, we expected that an academic environment should be that of civility and maturity .
It is a bad situation that instead of looking for ways of listening to students' agitation for better welfare and hostels, Prof Bamitale Omole led administration is busy looking at ways of suspending the institution's Student Union, in a typical Nigerian autocratic way. We will not be surprised if OAU Management is scared of something."

The student editors however went further to agitate for the probe of the Nigerian Vice Chancellors.

"Finally, we are pushing that all universities in Nigeria write a joint petition to the President of the federal republic of Nigeria not just for OAU but for the probe of activities of all Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria.

"Our vice chancellors are looking too powerful to be probed but we challenge the federal government to rise up to the challenge starting with the vice chancellor of OAU.

"We appeal that all youth bodies/student organizations come together to fight against autocracy that is beginning to dwell in our institutions."

It will be recalled that the students of Obafemi Awolowo University got their Student Union activities suspended following the protest by students to agitate for a better welfare condition.

See What Wikipedia Says About OAU Students' Accommodation

The biggest online hub of documented information which constitutes the Internet's largest and most popular general reference work has said the Halls of residence where students of Obafemi Awolowo University reside are over populated, some having an increment of about 300%. The article reads:

Ile-Ife campus is built on about 5,000 acres (20 km2) of a total of 13,000 acres (53 km2) university owned land. Its halls of residence include:
*Awolowo Hall, initially meant for about 700 occupants but now houses over 2,000 occupants
*Angola Hall, initially meant for 440 occupants but now houses over 1,600 occupants
*Alumni Hall, meant to serve less than 300 occupants but is accommodating over four times of that
*ETF Hall, meant for about 500 occupants but now houses over 1,400 occupants
*Fajuyi Hall, initially meant for about 700 occupants but now houses over 2,000 occupants
*Ladoke Akintola Hall meant to serve less than 300 occupants but is accommodating over four times of that
*Moremi Hall initially meant for about 700 occupants but now houses over 2,000 female students
*Mozambique Hall initially meant for about 700 occupants but now houses over 2,000 female students
*Murtala Muhammed Hall meant to serve less than 300 occupants but is accommodating over two times of that.

It will be recalled that the students of OAU protested their deplorable welfare condition especially the state of the Halls of Residence about a week ago which forced the University Management to shut down activities in the university. Some of the pictures posted on the social media by students of the University to express their state of welfare are pictured below.

OAU Management Suspends Union Activities

The Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University has suspended the activities of her Student's Union till further notice. This suspension was announced in a circular pasted around campus. However, the reason for the suspension was not made know in the circular.

More details later...

Facebook Founder To Donate 99% Of Wealth To Charity

In a long letter to his new born daughter yesterday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged to donate 99% of his Facebook share currently worth about $45billion to the work of their charitable foundation in her honour. Mark wrote;

"As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation. Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities. We will give 99% of our Facebook shares -- currently about $45 billion -- during our lives to advance this mission. We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others."


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Beaten Bus Driver, Likely Reason For Mid-semester Break

The University has not been shut down as speculated but rather the Senate of the university decided that the students should embark on a mid-semester break, the Public Relations Officer of Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju told campus journalists.

In a telephone chat with Mr Olarenwaju today, he insisted that the mid-semester break was necessary as the Senate of the University decided yesterday. He however said the students dare not question the authority of the senate on the decision. He further maintained that the University authority will recall the students as at when due.

Though the University PRO refused to link the mid-semester break to any development but a very strong indication that reached us has it that the decision of the Senate is linked to the treatment handed down to a public transport bus driver popularly known as ‘Town Gboro’ last week and not the protest embarked upon by students as many believe.

Late last week, a bus driver who was alleged to have stolen a gadget of a student of the institution was arrested by members of the Security Committee of the Students’ Union. During the period of investigation by the Security Committee, the bus driver reportedly confessed to the same allegation of theft upon which he was beaten seriously. This led to him been taken to the Health Centre of the institution for treatment afterwards.

There are however rumours pervading the University community that the bus driver died yesterday due to a yet to be ascertained reason. These rumours have been quashed by the Students’ Union saying it is not true. The association of bus drivers since Monday has however mandated their members not to operate within the University community which they have since complied with.