OAU Shutdown: Acting SU CSO Encourages Students To Leave Campus At Their Pace

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Security Committee of the suspended Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union, Comrade Olumighty, who has been handling affairs related to the Union has come out to also speak on the shutdown of the University. In an 8-paragraph Release signed by Olumighty, the Committee condemned the abrupt notice that students should evacuate Halls of Residence latest by 12:00pm today. Students were also advised to travel at their convenience.

The Committee has also decided on behalf of the defunct Students’ Union, to work with other Unions in order to restore peace and normalcy back to campus. Find the full release below;

GREAT IFE STUDENTS UNION
ON THE SHUTDOWN OF THE UNIVERSITY
It is no longer news that the university authority in the usual manner reacted to the recent workers' actions and inactions through an announcement in the radio by the registrar followed by a circular by the division of student affairs by shutting down the school.

This is to a very large extent an unexpected, incorrect and unwelcome approach in settling the issues that have enveloped the appointment of the vice chancellor. Students and the academic calendar shouldn't be at the receiving end of the crisis.

We're against the undemocratic closure of the school which is also another exposure of the Omole led administration which has usually made harmful autocratic decisions mostly injuring the students community.

The directive of having students vacate hostels before 12noon today is largely condemned and at this point, we hereby inform students that all Students who are not yet ready to leave the school should remain in their hostels and live without the fear of any attacks or harassment.

The leadership of the union as a call of necessity and expedience will be meeting with other sister unions especially the aggrieved unions to resolve on how peace could be restored to campus and activities fully restored to normalcy.

Also, there will be meetings with appropriate quarters of the school authority to address a fast track of resumption.

Our priority for now remains the restoration of normalcy on campus and resumption to usher in the commencement of academic activities in the university.

We wish students safe trip to their respective homes and wish you the best of the break.

Signed: Com OluMighty
CSO and leader of the union

NASU Goes Dramatic As Prof Omole Exits Office Today

After spending all night at the University Senate Building, the protesting members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife have started celebrating the exit of Professor Bamitale Omole, whose tenure as Vice-Chancellor ends today, in very unusual ways.

Members of the Union were dressed in white attires as they carried an ersatz coffin and danced around the Senate Building with brooms. Some others were also frying bean balls (akara) at the building.

More details to come...

ACJ OAU Speaks On Current NASU-Management Crisis; Recommends Students Interference

The leadership of the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ), OAU has also come forth to comment on the recent crisis that has rocked the Obafemi Awolowo University and its effects on students. This was done in a release which was signed by by President, General Secretary and Public Relations Officer of the Association. In the release, the association recommended that, considering the detrimental effects of the closure on the students, the students not take sides in the ongoing brawl between the Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University and the Non-Academic Staff Union, but instead intervene to help resolve the crisis and to this end further recommended that a congress of Great Ife students be called. Find the full release below;

From Executive Council ACJOAU

The Closure of OAU, Matters Arising

Today, 22nd of June,2016, we received with huge sadness and shock the closure of Obafemi Awolowo University till further notice.

The reasons for the closure of Ife Varsity is based on the ongoing workers protest against alleged imposition of the new Vice Chancellor on the University community, we however do not want to dwell on rightness or wrongness of protests but the effect constant disagreement has had on students in the institution.

It has become a norm that OAU is known for unstable Calendar, we go on strike almost every session based on disagreement, however we must note that it is high time we find an alternative conflict resolution mechanism, we should remember that fresh students for instance have been at home for several months before resuming, ASUU were on leave for 56 days and it seems, the grass is suffering without due consideration from quarters.

We are in no way contesting the right to protest nor the powers of the school to declare closure but when this decisions alter future of thousands then we may begin to ask what we are been thought as leaders of tomorrow.

Historically, the last three years have come with strike and coincidentally those strike have been in the month of June, we cannot fold our arms and watch, let's know that other Universities also experience disagreements but if there was unity, things can be sorted out.

Fresh students have been on Campus for close to one month doing almost nothing and after one month they have been asked to return back home, definitely we may say this is a norm in Great Ife but things are becoming overbearing.

We totally want to express our deep concern towards this latest development, we know fully well that Students even have to travel again to long distances and looking at the rate of accidents lately, it is not advisable that students leave the University, remember that they never came for Tourism and shouldn't leave like they are on expedition, safety of life and property which the University has attached this decision to may not be achieved if students are allowed to travel in the Psychological state the Strike action must have left them, we must ensure that we stop repeating same mistakes that we have repeated all along.

OUR RECOMMENDATION.

-That the alternative dispute resolution mechanism of dialogue should be utilized.

- Students should see the present crisis as their concern, from information we have gotten, students may continue to suffer if we don't play a diplomatic role in solving this issue rather than taking sides or using this medium for popularity, a five man committee should work assiduously to ensure that impact of students is felt in efforts to resolve this issue, efforts should be that of Goodwill and not self interest

- The University authorities should consider the safety of students really and psychology of new students who have not been cleared even at Department level, the 56days leave already granted to ASUU, the decision to ask students to proceed on strike may not serve its purpose and should be looked into, Universities exist for students, decisions like this only leaves more to be wanted, it is unsafe to ask students to proceed home and it is unfair to postpone Academic activities after many postponement.

- Even though the case between NASU,SSANU and the Governing council is in Court , we believe that a common ground can be reached, we are recommending that aggrieved parties dialogue extensively

-- We are recommending a Congress of Great Ife students especially at this critical time and moment.

We believe at every point in life of a society disagreement may occur but ability to handle issues is essential.

At ACJOAU, we will continue to assert strength of the pen without fear or favor.

Signed

Olanrewaju Oyedeji
President

Adebayo Faith
General Secretary

Abegunde Cephas
Public Relations Officer
ACJ OAU

Protesting Workers To Remain At Senate Overnight

Following the shut down of the school, the protesting members of the Non-Academic Staff Union have promised to remain at the University Senate Building overnight. As at the time of compiling this report, the workers were still at the Senate Building blaring and enjoying music.

Also consequential to the scuffle that has ensued over the past weeks, many speculations have begin to arise regarding the recent closure of the school and alleged sack of NASU OAU Executives. Some believe the management is finding a way to organise a peaceful swearing-in for the announced candidate for the June 23 handing over by Professor Omole, even despite the said injunction of the Court, which is to have another hearing on the 6th July, 2016.

As different speculations continue to arise following the dramatic turn of events in the last few hours, OAU Peeps News Agency promises to endeavour to continue to adequately keep the general public informed about the eventual happenings as they unfold.

NASU National Sacks NASU OAU Excos

The national leadership of the Non Academic Staff Union of universities (NASU) has dissolved the leadership of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife branch of the union.

The National Executive in a June 21 letter cited continued violation of the union’s constitution in the ongoing crisis over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the institution as the reason for the sack.

It accused the branch leadership of carrying out protest and industrial action without the permission of the national leadership, adding that it acted in disregard to its earlier plea for leniency in a recent meeting with the General Secretary at its Ibadan liaison office.

The letter, signed by the General Secretary, A. Adeyemi, said the dissolution of the Executive takes effect from June 20.
It directed the leadership of the OAU branch to hand over properties in their care to branch financial secretary.

“In accordance with Rule 22 (1 & 5c) of NASU constitution, therefore, the Obafemi Awolowo University Branch Committee is dissolved with effect from 20th June, 2016 for persistent violation of the content of the constitution,” the statement read in part.

The tenure of the outgoing VC, Prof. Ba miracle Omole, ends today (Thursday) while the incoming VC is expected to take over on Friday.

The letter was copied to the VC, Registrar, Commissioner of Police, Osun State and the Secretary of the Osun State Council of the union.



 SOURCE  

OAU Shut Down Indefinitely ‎Over Workers Protest

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife have shut down the institution indefinitely over continuous protests by some of its workers.

The Registrar of the university, Dotun Awoyemo confirmed this to our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday.

According to him, the management has decided to shut down the university for the safety of students and staff.

He said, "We have shut down the university indefinitely pending the time that we will resolve issues with our workers - Non-academic Staff of University (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (SSANU). 

"We have asked our newly admitted students to go home and postponed the resumption of old students indefinitely."

It was gathered that old students of the OAU were expected to resume next week after a two-month break. 

Recall that ‎workers of the OAU under the aegis of NASU and SSANU have intensified their protest against non-payment of allowances and alleged imposition of a Vice-Chancellor despite the 'no work', 'no pay' threat by the university's authorities.

They vowed to stop the newly appointed VC from resuming office on Friday.

Our correspondent gathered that the protest intensified when the University's Governing Council announced Prof. Ayobami Salam as the new VC. 

Though the counsel to the university denied the appointment of a new VC at the Osogbo Federal High Court hearing last Friday afternoon, the Governing Council on Saturday officially announced Salami.

Source: Punch

Beyond Feminism: "Fair-minism" - Pope Jay

I am a huge fan of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Beyond her literary prowess, both oral and written, I respect her in-depth consciousness of the world around her. The ability to notice the so called “little things” in the society and forge them into a story worth listening to is a very rare character, most especially in this part of the world. One of the ideals which I share with Chimamanda is her stance on the equality of the Homo Sapien; the belief that everybody can and should be treated equally at least to a reasonable extent, irrespective of some superficial factors like gender and race.

Feminism is the belief in the political, social, and economic equality between women and men. Feminism as a concept can be traced back centuries. However, there seems to be a rising trend recently, most especially in Africa, a development long overdue. In as much as feminism to a reasonable level is a just cause, I believe that it is perhaps too one sided. The said aim of feminism is to achieve a rational level of equality in the sexes, but this is frequently approached from the female’s perspective and very seldom from the man’s point of view. I once asked a female friend what she thought of paternity leave and she said it was totally unnecessary; I tried to remind her that the man too had just had a child but she felt it was the woman who had done all the work. I further tried to approach the topic from the feminist’s perspective; since the woman wants to be treated equally with the man and the man doesn’t get any holiday for having a child, why should she get a holiday? At this point, my friend just saw me as wicked, lazy, inconsiderate and even further went on to predict that I would be a bad husband in future. The fact that this same friend of mine may be the first to lift the protest placard whenever a case of gender discrimination arose seemed quite unfair to me.

The society gives a form of partial treatment to men, it also demands a lot from them: A man is expected to be one without emotions; “the strong one”, the one who has to be away from his family in order to provide for them, the one whose name should scare the children etc. So far, he has not complained because I have tried to find out if there is such a concept as “masculism”, or “masculinism”, and I have discovered that it defines the very opposite of feminism. But I am sure that there are men who want to attain a level of equality with the women too and currently it seems the average male feminist tends to be either seen as shameless and lazy for competing with a female or ungentlemanly for not standing up for her to sit. This indicates that even in the pursuit of equality that is feminism; the sexes are not treated equally.

As a way out, I would have suggested that the men too start to rise and chase equality from their own end, that they invent the idea “masculinism” in a fair way; however, this would only duplicate the shortcomings of feminism. I thereby want to plead with all those who fight against the discrimination against the female sex in a bid to achieve equity in the treatment of both sexes not to be one sided in this task because beyond feminism, we should try to achieve a state of fairness to both sexes. Simply put, we should all be fair-minists.

Please send your comments and opinions to me via mail at jobaoje@gmail.com
Pope Jay