#AfrikaLivesOn: OAU Students Remember Fallen Heroes

In remembrance of the July 10,1999 fallen martyrs, the Obafemi Awolowo University Students' Union has organized a 2-day programme to commemorate it.

The fallen OAU 5 include; George Iwilade (a.k.a Afrika), Efe Ekpede, Babatunde Oke, Eviano Ekelemu and Yemi Ajiteru.

The event kicked-off today at about 10am with signing of the Condolence register at AngloMoz car park. Despite the present shutdown of the university, some conscious students of OAU were present to sign the condolence register in honour of the fallen martyrs.

Speaking with OAU Peeps News Agency , the CSO and acting Students' Union leader, Comrade Olumighty said the remembrance of the OAU 5 comes up every year and it is done so as to remind every great Ife student that some people died for their just course - which is to liberate and combat cultism, violence and other vices on OAU Campus. He further narrated the event saying the fallen heroes sacrificed their lives for the serenity presently enjoyed on campus starting from working without fear at midnight coupled with total eviction of cultism on OAU campus.

Olumighty however stated that students greater than these martyrs can still surface, but only if all great Ife students unite and fight for their rights especially with the present bad situation on campus.

The remembrance also witnessed an anti-cultism parade/security search and film show. Tomorrow, July 10, has been slated for a symposium, candle night procession and bonfire.

See more photos below

Breaking: Nigerian Senate Wades In, Vows To Look Into #ReOpenOAU

Following several calls by the students of Obafemi Awolowo University to many leaders of the country, requesting that they wade into the long time closure of the institution, the Nigerian Senate is the latest in the series of prominent personalities and systems that have waded in. The Senate has vowed to look into the matter once the Senate resumes next week.

Reacting to one of the several tweets where he was tagged, the President of the Senate, Olubukola Saraki said the matter will be looked into once session resumes.

@NGRSenate will look into this once we resume cc @JideOmoworare @IsiakaAdeleke1 https://t.co/jpeGAN0XDt

— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) July 9, 2016

You can also make your own voice heard by following @OAUpeeps and tagging us in your #ReOpenOAU tweets.

Association Of Campus Journalists' Open Letter On #ReOpenOAU

AN OPEN LETTER

We write to inform you of the current shut down of Obafemi Awolowo University located in Ile-Ife,Osun State Nigeria.

Obafemi Awolowo University was shut down on 22nd day of June, 2016, two days before the Varsity was meant to resume for her 2015/16 session.

It is with Great concern that we write this letter not just because of the current closure but also because of other issues that have remained unsolved over the years.

In Obafemi Awolowo University, Students are always at the receiving end of constant crisis that has always threatened their future.

This current shut down can be traced to alleged illegality in Appointing a Vice Chancellor for the institution and the over 76months Allowance that the University is owing Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities which they have protested.

As Students we have endured the constant closure of our citadel which has caused Psychological trauma to us from time to time.

We have gone on strike every year in the last five years and this has led to untold hardship even on our parents who struggle to ensure we get qualitative Education.

Anomalies that have rocked our institution has made mockery of the Greatness of Obafemi Awolowo University which Students, strive to protect.

This closure is coupled with the current state of hostels in the University which has not received attention for years now even after Students protest and Campaign demanding for better welfare, some students have suffered victimization fighting for this cause but due to the undying love we have for the citadel even with the current state of welfare we have always defended the sanctity of the University with the best of our abilities as Students.

The current shut down has left many of our students abandoning Education due to situations beyond their control and even situations caused by idleness.

The Federal Government of Nigeria dissolved our University Governing Council and has failed to reconstitute another one, the same Federal Government failed to fast track appointment of an Acting Vice chancellor for the institution, not considering the fact that Obafemi Awolowo University Students have been at home for over 90days doing nothing.

Obafemi Awolowo University in its glorious days prides itself as the most productive University in Nigeria but when Students are not even allowed to graduate our productivity becomes questionable.

We find it important to write this because we are tired of been reduced to the streets due to constant closure of the University, whenever we attend a lecture we always have fears that the next day might come with no lecture because the school may have been shut suddenly.

We believe that if issues surrounding dilapidated structures,Workers welfare, Poor Hostels, Epidemic Calendar, Victimization of Students, appalling welfare are looked into, Students would not have to go home and abandon their Education involuntarily.

We have started a Social media Campaign to air our grievances, we have started trending the hashtag ReopenOAU but we believe that if Obafemi Awolowo University is managed very well, it has the potential to become one of the best around the globe.

We want to use this medium to ask that the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency constitute a New Governing Council for the institution and immediately appoint an Acting Vice Chancellor for the institution so that Students can resume.

Students have been at the receiving end of the mismanagement in Obafemi Awolowo University and we do not want to be used like slaves anymore,we are human too and we have a future to protect.

The Federal Government of Nigeria should also look into the administration of the University in the last five years, Students believe that the University was poorly managed and Students want the Federal Government to set up a panel to thoroughly investigate how OAU has been managed from 2011-2016.

We are in the month of July,2016 and we are yet to commence 2015/16 session, with the current conditions in the labor market, there are bracket and age limit to employment opportunities , and we are falling off the age bracket .

Our Students have lost out in internship programs and scholarships due to the constant shut down of the University.

Conclusively, we believe that Education with quality is our right, the Federal Government of Nigeria needs to always put future leaders first in their plans.We also want all quarters involved in affairs of the University to put Students interest at heart and ensure that they play their part without selfish motivations or individual glories.We are interested in making our citadel return back to its former glory.

Thank you.

Signed

Olanrewaju Oyedeji
ACJOAU President

Adebayo Faith
General Secretary

Abegunde Cephas
Public Relations Officer

#ReopenOAU: Analysing Objections

By Gracious Egedegbe
Friday, 08 July 2016, Ile Ife


Following an overstretched break ensued by the dissolution of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), resulting in a protracted and excruciating delay, OAU students recently launched a campaign tagged #ReOpenOAU. The #ReOpenOAU campaign has been on for three days with thousands of students, alumni, colleagues from other universities, stakeholders and sympathisers actively involved. The aim has to be flood the cyberspace with tweets, Facebook posts and pictures demanding that the school be reopened. Earlier, the Association of Campus Journalist (ACJ), who brought the initiative, announced that it would broaden the demands to include Constitution of a new governing council. Appointment of an acting VC, and a Probe into the affairs of the university in the last five years and monitor activities thereafter.

However, this campaign has come under heavy criticism from different quarters, the most pronounced coming from those who call themselves ideologists. They have expressed different reasons for their disapproval. One of them is that the hashtag, the cynosure of the campaign, should read #OAUdemandsanActingVC amongst other alternatives. They also allege that ACJ executives, who pioneered the campaign and are currently coordinating it, are not being sincere in the campaign. They insinuate that the executives are being bought over to cooperate with the selfish interests of other parties.

At this point one must examine how valid these objections are.

The hashtag #ReOpenOAU is both brief and effective. It adequately sums up the demands of OAU students. Furthermore, it is clear to the discerning that reopening the school will involve the constitution of a new governing council and appointment of a VC, even if temporarily. Besides, the hashtag is employed for the sake of simplicity and uniformity. Participants are allowed to inject their views, experiences and solutions in addition to the hashtag.

The allegation against ACJ executives has been described as an unfounded speculation and a malicious rumour with a view to distract the coordinators and destabilise the campaign. The allegation was disparaged due to the reputable characters of the executive, proven over a long period. That the allegation is based on a phone call construed to have come from a party with a political interest has further reduced its credibility.

It would seem to all appearances that these sets of persons, referred to as ideologists are irked by the fact that they are not privy to the coordination of the campaign. Extending this argument, they fear that ACJ has reduced their relevance in the OAU polity. They label the campaign as attention seeking on the part of ACJ and other bodies actively taking part in it. As such, they think that by raising a dissenting call, they might accrue to themselves some needed attention. This is both immature and unbecoming of any student of OAU.

There is the alternative narrative that these persons want an encompassing organisation of the campaign. They want the campaign to be opened to all in planning and actualization.

Their position might be understood in the sense that they feel the coordination is not encompassing and managed by an elitist few. However, they must also understand that there are avenues to air their grievances and offer opinions and recommendations. For effective coordination, it is best that there are a set of people accountable rather than allow for a jumbled organisation and resulting ineffectiveness. The crux is that they cannot always expect their recommendations will be acted upon.

On the allegations, it could also be that these sets of people are innocent in character and really have the interest of OAU students at heart. If that is so, they should be thorough with their investigations before attempting to disrupt what has been a great advantage to the OAU cause. Furthermore, they should learn to accept in good faith, whatever policies are enacted. While they are entitled to their personal opinions and actions, they should not express such in a way that would kill the campaign or at best, weaken it. Finally, they should know that not all of their suggestions will be accepted and know when to withdraw their agitations.


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OAU VC Court Case Postponed Till October 5th

The ongoing court case on the ongoing legality of the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University has been once again postponed till October 5th, 2016.

More details to come later

234Project To Award Prizes On Tomorrow, July 9th

Following the closure of submissions for entries for the Great Ife Writer Project, the facilitators of the essay contest, the 234Project hereby invites all participants to the award ceremony tomorrow, Saturday, 9th July, 2016

Venue: Aud 1
Time: 10:00 am

There would be a lot of consolation prizes.

Antagonism Trails #ReopenOAU

It is no more news that the Obafemi Awolowo University has been out of session for about 90 days straight, as a result of a sessional holiday protracted by the eventual shutdown of the institution.  It all began with the 56-working days leave requested for by ASUU-OAU, then the Non Academic Staff Union kicking against the appointment of a new VC, to the eventual dissolution of the governing council of the Institution cum sack of the appointed VC by the government at the centre – a decision that has continued to be trailed by several reactions.

As a result, Great Ife students have been resigned to sitting and watching back home, with the capability to do little or nothing to help themselves or the university community swim out of the troubled waters, while hoping and praying that the crisis be resolved quickly and totally, so they can go back to learning; their primary assignment on campus.

All hopefulness and prayers without actions might eventually yield little or no result. However, in light of this, the Association Of Campus Journalists(ACJ), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter brought aboard the idea of an online sensitization of the general populace through the social media.  The campaign was also targeted as an avenue to reach concerned stakeholders on the crisis as well as well-meaning Nigerians who might be willing to take up the course and fight for the reopening of the institution.  The campaign with the theme “#ReOpenOAU” was eventually kick-started some days ago on major social media platforms, especially twitter.  Using this medium, Great Ife students have continued to voice out their displeasure with such pieces being targeted at major stakeholders involved in the crisis.

The purpose of the campaign can be easily deciphered from its title - reopening of the school. On its third day, the campaign has recorded huge success with various organizations and individuals joining their voices with great Ife students. 

Surprisingly, some set of great Ife students have recently come out to kick against the campaign, citing various reasons for taking such stance.   Such reasons include the conviction of these sets of people that the campaign doesn’t properly represent the interest of great Ife students. Some have also argued that the campaign should have been centered on more specific requests like appointment of an acting VC or reconstitution of the governing council.

Some others even believe it should be an avenue to ask for the reinstatement of the students union activities of the institution.  These were accompanied by several criticisms of ACJ OAU, accusing the association especially, its president, of pursuing his personal interest against the interest of the generality of great Ife students– the same students that have taken over the social media with the #ReOpenOAU campaign in the last 48 hours.

Some of these ideologists have even gone as far as threatening to start a counter-trend against the campaign, whilst some have started to spread false messages on the social media impersonating some of the leadership of the ACJ.

With the trend of things, several questions are being asked; what do these ideologists really want? Do they not want the school to resume? Do they even understand what the theme of the campaign is all about? Are they aware that if OAU is eventually reopened, then an acting VC and/or a governing council must definitely be appointed/constituted? Do they know that student Unionism cannot operate well without the school being in full operation?

However, even with this, more students and bodies continue to join the #ReopenOAU campaign by the day.

#ReopenOAU