The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of University and Allied institutions (NASU) in the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have sought a level playing ground in the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.
Speaking at a joint congress yesterday, the SSANU Chairman, Ademola Oketunde, said the unions want the appointment process put on hold because “the process is fraudulent”.
According to him, the governing council did not follow due process, adding that they are not sincere and fair to all the candidates.
He added that the council has usurped the power and responsibilities of the selection committee.
He said the prayers of the unions are that all qualified candidates be granted a level playing ground.
He prayed the Federal Government to dissolve the governing council as “it has outlived its usefulness”.
Some residents of Block 3 of Adekunle Fajuyi Hall in Obafemi Awolowo University have stopped the construction of a buttery beside their block describing it as illegal and unacceptable.
Fajuyi Hall residents woke up this morning to see the construction of an extra structure suspected to be a buttery at the end of block 3. One of the recharge card sellers in the Hall was recently granted the permission to erect the structure, it was learnt.
Aggrieved by the development, the residents complained that the structure was illegal and cannot be allowed. In their outpour, they challenged the jurisdiction that allocated the space saying some fellowships use the same space to keep their equipments and properties during week days. They asked what their fate will be if the buttery is constructed.
Reacting to the students’ stoppage of the construction work, the person who was allegedly given the space said he has been granted an official permission by the Hall Warden and hall management to erect the structure. The man who could not produce any document to substantiate his claim said he stays in town and the paper he was given for the permission is in town.
These aggrieved students have however threatened to remove any further construction made until the Warden wades in on Monday. The residents of the block vow to mobilize to the hall warden on Monday to express their disapproval and rejection of the proposed structure.
The Part three (3) class representative of the students of the Faculty of Law, OAU, Adetunji Oluwatobi has gotten an exceptional embryonic approval of the student lawmakers of the faculty to be the secretary of the Orientation Committee for the 2015/2016 administration.
During the plenary session of the LSRC yesterday, one of the agenda of the sitting was the presentation of the chairman, vice chairman and secretary of the Orientation Committee by the Executive Council. The committee is expected to be in charge of the orientation programme that will welcome the freshmen for next session.
The president named Adekanye Adeola from the Part 4 class as the proposed Chairperson and Oyewole Omolola as the Vice Chairperson. The two nominees were thoroughly screened as the honourables took time to ask them questions as regards their preparedness to take up the responsibilities before them. The nominees had served in the same committee during the just concluded administration.
Upon the request of the Speaker that the President present the proposed secretary of the committee, Adetunji Oluwatobi was named and told to step forward. In an exceptional style, Honourable Awosusi Kehinde who was the first honourable to speak following the announcement of the name reeled out how the nominee has dedicated himself to serving the society selflessly over time. He argued that his nomination is one that cannot be contested as he has proven exceptionally excellent and thus qualified to take up the task of the Orientation Committee’s secretary. Awosusi however craved the indulgence of the house that the nominee be allowed to take a bow without further screening and go.
In a seemingly related manner, another lawmaker, Honourable Ezejide Augustus moved a motion that Oluwatobi should only take a bow and go which was seconded by Honourable Oyelade Muhammed. A counter motion was however raised by Honourable Uzoma Felix arguing that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, hence, Adetunji Oluwatobi be taken through the due process of screening. The counter motion was eventually seconded by the Clerk of the house, Honourable Adeagbo Toheeb. The motions were subjected to voting where majority supported that the nominee only take a bow and go.
The Speaker of the house however ruled after the voting that the proposed secretary of the committee takes a bow and go. As at the time of filing this report, the honourables were having a closed door session to assess the nominations and consider approving them.
In a related development, the nominee for the Audit Committee for the LLB 4, Aderibigbe Abass was successfully screened while the proposed nominees for other classes were rejected following a notification that the proposed nominees were not constitutionally selected from their respective classes. The nominees are expected to have passed through an electioneering exercise in their class where they would emerge as nominees before being presented at the floor of the house.
Several reactions have continued to pour in since the news of the proposed intervention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Obafemi Awolowo University over the suspension of some Union leaders filtered in.
NANS has vowed to hold OAU to a standstill come Monday, March 21, 2016 should the University management fail to accede to their demand for reinstatement of the suspended trio of Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY, Oketooto Oluwaseun a.k.a Hon. Seun and Ojedokun Emmanuel a.k.a Immanuel Kant.
Many students have asked why NANS has chosen a delicate time like this examination period to embark on the 'intervention'. Asides that, some students doubt the sincerity of NANS intervention and ability to sustain the intervention in the face of possible financial enticement considering the corrupt history of NANS. If this should be the case, students of OAU are scared that they may be sold out to the authority after OAU students must have pledged their allegiance to the struggle.
Another question that some students have continued to also ask is the refusal of NANS to know the mind of OAU students concerning their offer of intervention. ANSA, a group on campus has been at the fore-front of demanding for a student Congress in OAU so that students can say if they are in support or against the envisaged protest. Even if in support of it, ANSA believes there is need for the students to draft a modality for the action so that they can be properly mobilized.
As many students continue to express disapproval to the NANS intervention, some other persons have thrown their weight behind NANS on a basis that the University management has exhibited non-understanding and frustrated diplomatic approaches, hence the need for a practical action.
In the mean time, there are reports that the suspended leaders were seen in their departments participating in the ongoing examinations. This, to some persons raises questions as per the genuineness of the suspension of these leaders or there is something they do not want OAU students to know.
The legislative arm of the Law Students’ Society (LSS), Obafemi Awolowo University; the Law Students’ Representative Council (LSRC) has ruled that the former president of the society, Olaniran Quadri and the other affected persons should transfer signatories of the association’s account to the new leadership on or before next week Tuesday.
In a plenary session of the honourables that held at the Mock and Moot chamber of the faculty on Friday’s evening, the new president, Ekpa Stanley highlighted the state of the association among which he talked about the handing over of the society’s account, the endorsement of the Orientation Committee leadership, the creation of the Audit Committee for this administrative tenure.
The LSS OAU President in his words complained that the bulk of examinations before members of the society has not afforded them the time to change the signatories. He also read to the read to the house a text message sent to him by the former president requesting that the change of signatories be done after his exams next week Tuesday.
Following several deliberations cum voice vote by the honourables, the legislative chamber reached a resolution and mandated the former president to follow the new executives to bank on Tuesday next week to change the signatories.
The Osun State government has announced that it will be unable to pay State workers their March salaries.
Osun State received only N6.23m in funding for the month of March. According to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the government will not be able to pay the State Secretariat’s electricity bills, let alone its N2.6bn wage bill.
March’s federal allocation represents a significant decline from February’s allocation of N1.677bn. Additionally, Osun State received N19.418m and N726.1m from the exchange rate gain and value added tax, bringing the total February allocation to N2.423bn.
The reason for Osun State’s insufficient funding comes from debt obligations amounting to over N2bn. The debt payments included external debt and an irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO).
Every other state was granted a March allocation of at least N1bn, with Akwa Ibom, Delta, Lagos, and Rivers States topping the list with N8.557bn, N6.062 bn, N6.612 bn and N5.427bn, respectively.
