Osun State Speaker Bags Doctorate Degree, Visits OAU

By Uthman Samad.

Today, the Speaker of the state of Osun, Rt Hon. Najeem Salam had his jumat prayer in Obafemi Awolowo University

The Speaker who is representing Ejigbo State Constituency under the platform of the All Progressive Congress paid a courtesy visit to the great Ife community.

Dr Abdulfattah Makinde of the department of religious studies who led the prayer announced the presence of the speaker after the prayer.

The speaker who had jumaat prayer at the  Obafemi Awolowo University Central mosque located at the school’s religious ground beseeched all Muslims to seek knowledge in all possible means at their expense.

Rt. Hon Najeem Salam  is among the newly produced PhD holders from the department of political science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

Speaking at the prayer, He  made it known that  today marks his 15th day he finished his PHD program &therefore decided to give God all the glory in Ife as he did his Bsc ,Msc & now PhD in Ife.

The speaker  challenged the leaders of the Muslim community of Obafemi Awolowo University to help the incoming generation  actualise their dreams.

Dr Najeem studied Political Science and graduated with a second class upper degree in 1993 and later enrolled for his masters, before coming back for his Phd, which he has just successfully completed.

Highlights Of Ammended School Calendar

Dec. 23, 2017 – Jan. 2, 2018 – Christmas/New Year Break

January 22 – 28, 2018 – Lecture Free Week

January 29, 2018 – Rain Semester Examinations Begin

February 16, 2018 – Rain Semester Examinations End

February 16, 2018 – End of 2016/2017 Session

March 8, 2018 – Harmattan Semester,

2017/2018 Academic Session Commences

NAAS President, Others Impeached Over Misappropriation Of Funds

By Ndimele Kingsley

It was another dramatic event at the parliamentary sitting of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Students, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Friday, 12th January, 2018.

The sitting which lasted over four hours was presided by the Speaker of the House (the Student Representative Council of Agricultural Students, OAU also referred to as Joint Session Board), Aina Olaoluwa who stated that the President (Adesope Ibrahim), Financial Secretary (Ajayi Emmanuel) and Treasurer (Oloruntunbi Philemon) could not account for the missing #108,000 in the association's purse.

The declaration came, following a majority vote of the parliamentarians after the presentation of the final audit report as at 12th January, 2018.

In a phone conversation with the Speaker, he said, "After thorough scrutinization and questioning, it was discovered that over #108,000 was missing from the association's account. Hence, the majority of the JSB voted for the impeachment of the three executives involved. They've also been asked to refund the money within a week".

Confirming the impeachment, the President said, "I have no objection to the impeachment. The Financial Secretary was unable to balance the account".

It should be recalled that, exactly a year ago, the erstwhile President of the same association, Oluwaseun Oyeniyi was also impeached by the parliamentarians for misappropriation of funds.

OAU: Students Prepare For Rain Semester Examinations in Total Darkness

By Uthman Samad and Farombi Oluwaseun

As  the rain semester examination of the Obafemi Awolowo University approaches,  It's been close to two  weeks now that the academic areas of the university has been in total darkness.

The academics area which covers the lecture theatres and offices of the lecturers cum administrative section of the school can be said to be facing huge huddles of electricity which has been a major set back of  normal lecturing activities.

It will be recalled that the school Management recently released the amended calendar which states 29th of January for the beginning of 2016/2017 rain semester examination which is just  few days to go, the university library under lock&key with the only option left for the students to read(academics area) in total darkness.

Apart from reading at night, due to the blackout,  practicals/laboratory works has been put on hold especially for students in the faculty of Science, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Technology etc.

It's also been inferred that some departments are not done with their tests which is prerequisite to the examination, their students and the generality of the great Ife students are now to prepare under darkness and health destroying candles to source light to cover their reading thirst with the popular Awolowo Cafe& Halls of residence now on new colour as it's always full to the brim.


However, the school management has not made any release to the community over the blackout.  According to a source, a lecturer who pleaded anonymity, said  that "the school Vice Chancellor communicated to the lecturers to bear with the the administration over the hitches caused by the electricity disruption around academic areas." He added that "it was caused by the fault in the cable connection which those in charge(non-academic staff) to rectify the scourge(faulty cable) has been on strike over allowance issue.   

Speaking with OAU Peeps News Agency, a student of the Department of Economics, Ologbenla Tolu  caught  reading in AUD 2 said that "the management has always taken their success with levity adding that ever  since resumption  from the End of the  break,  the university library has been  locked coupled with blackout  in the academics area."

Also speaking , Olushola Oludiran, a student of English while lamenting on the state of the school said " the management should please rectify the light so that students will be able to read and prepare well for their coming exams".

Akande Azeezat of Psychology Department  reading with lamps in ODLT 1 pleaded that  the management should devise every possible means to make up the light before the examination period.

Meanwhile, Olateju Oluwasegun RAY added that the current situation came to stay with no fear of its repercussion on the university management as the  management has been able to kill the consciousness of students, bring disunity among students and render students powerless in making demands for their rights through the serial proscription of the students' union knowing fully well that  it is easier to win a struggle as a body and not as individuals. He further added that  as long as students continue to manage with the bad situation, he foresee  more anti-student policies as from next session.

However, Speaking with OAU Peeps News Agency on telephone,the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. I.O Aransi refused to comment on the black out of the university academic area.

Photo credit by Ilebani Olushola

JAMB Fixes Feb 6 As Deadline For UTME Registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has fixed February 6, as deadline for the sale of registration form for this year’s unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME).

JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede spoke at a meeting on strategic planning, supervision and evaluation of the conduct of 2018 unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) in Abuja yesterday.

He said only 283,319 candidates had registered for the examination.

The board also fixed March 9 to17 for the conduct of the UTME in 620 computer based test centres across the country.

The registrar said: “Because of the criticisms that trailed the sale of entry form for a month in the past years, the board has decided to earmark two months so that every willing candidate will be able to purchase, fill and submit the forms.

“We opened entry from December 6, 2017 to February 6, 2018, but one month later, only less than a quarter of the two million candidates expected for the examination this year have registered.”

Prof. Oloyede said its mock examination slated for January 22 would now hold in first week of February.

He blamed the shift of the mock examination on the strike embarked on by members of NASU, noting that the strike made the CBT centres in affected tertiary institutions not available for accreditation.

The JAMB registrar also banned the use of wristwatches, biros, pencils and other devices from the examination hall.

He added that the ban affects both candidates and examination officials.

Oloyede said: “The Board has prohibited additional materials during the 2018 UTME in the examination hall. These include wrist watches, biros, calculator, biros, pencils except the common HB pencil, and any other device that can store data, transmit or receive signal no matter the form. These prohibitions are not only applicable to the candidates but to all examination officials. The reasons for this will be provided shortly.

“Scanned pictures of candidates are no longer accepted for registration, except live capture at the accredited CBT Centres as part of the Registration Procedure. Furthermore, candidates’ pictures will be embossed on all candidates’ documents generated by JAMB henceforth,” he said.

The registrar also disclosed that Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu has queried 42 institutions for charging candidates more than N2000 for their post-UTME.

“There is nothing wrong with post-UTME provided that our candidates are not extorted. The honourable minister of education queried about 42 institutions for charging more than N2000. We made recommendation to the minister and the minister said all of them should refund the money. He gave them two weeks and all of them are making refund now.

“He has put his feet down that all excess charges should be refunded and people can testify to the fact. Where they have the list they are paying them directly and in this case where Vice Chancellors proved clearly that those candidates could not be traced the minister has given appropriate directive.

“Candidates are reporting back to us. In one case where they could not, the minister directed that they should pay the money to a non religious orphanage, orphanage owned by the state or anything because those people couldn’t be traced,” the registrar said.

According to him, the figures being paraded as qualified candidates to write its examination was not true.

OAU Releases New Guidelines For Accommodation

Date: January 10, 2018
DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE
2017/2018 SESSION STUDENT HOSTEL
ACCOMODATION
In line with the decision of the University authority to improve the living condition of Students in the Halls of Residence, the Division of  Student Affairs is hereby informing all the Students that there will be a reduction in the number of bed spaces in each of the rooms in the Halls of Residence: Consequent to this, bed space allocations will be limited and will follow a democratic process. ‘Accommodation
Allocation’ is not automatic for any student, however special consideration will be given to freshers(new students) and final year students for limited spaces based on a first-come, first-served on-line application and balloting process.
Following this arrangement, there will be no special request for bed space either by students or staff – PLEASE DO NOT VISIT THE
DSA FOR THIS PURPOSE. All students will be given an opportunity to ballot for bed space. About 50% of final year students and likewise freshers would likely be given accommodation based on balloting. However, any student who fails to secure bed space through this balloting process will have to look elsewhere for his or
her own accommodation because squatting will not be allowed.
Students are advised to watch out on the E-Portal, University website  and DSA notice boards for information in respect of the balloting exercise for bed spaces before the end of the 2016/2017 Session.

Signed
DSA

Former OAU Lecturer Accused Of Failing Medical Students Over Sex

A former lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Francis Fakoya has been called out on Facebook by one of his former students who accused him of failing medical students because of sex.

An alumnus of the university, Funke Dezarn, on Sunday, January 7 decided to expose the lecturer who was said to have his power as a lecturer to fail Medical Students who refused to have sex with him.

 Dezarn wrote:
Oprah’s speech on Golden Globe tonight inspired me to post this.

“Dr.Med.Dr” Francis Andy Fakoya of  Anatomy Department ,OAU Ile-Ife Nigeria, you destroyed many young lives through your sexual harassments. As that was not enough, you used your power as a teacher to Medical Students, to fail any student that refused you.

Some of the student victims repeated the class, some like me were lucky to have just a resit, while some were thrown out of Medical school. I chose to say NO to you and you failed me in Anatomy 2 times (Part 2 and Part 3), which are the only failures I have on my transcript!!! I remember your words to me both times, a day before both exams, “Agree to sleep with me or you fail and resit the exam”.

Wherever you are tonight (St George’s University, Medical School, Caribbean Island), for all the lives you affected negatively, TIME’S UP!!!

Funke who is said to be assistant class rep when she was in the university was applauded for speaking up and calling out the lecturer.

Meanwhile, one Tunde Komolafe who graduated from the University also commented on the post saying he heard about the story then but didn't know it was that deep.

Funke later revealed in her comments that her father wanted to report the lecturer but was held back by the then chair, Professor Ezekiel Caxton-Martins.

'Yes, Dr. Komolafe! My dad was so upset the 2nd time that we went to report to Caxton Martins, who was the chair then. He begged us not to make it a big deal because I will be the one to suffer it if my dad reports to the authorities.

Caxton Martins insisted that I should take the resit and move on with my life. (But my transcript is always there to remind me of life) Many of the anatomy and Physiology teachers knew about the incidents. That is just my story, I know more that were affected and had to resit the course, repeat the year or leave Med School.

'Time’s up for accountability. It’s time for him to pay the price''.

Francis Fakoya according to the lady is now a professor at St. George's University, Grenada in North America.

See more at https://m.facebook.com/Victoria.Vickie/posts/10156210146825815