Strike: ASUU OAU Blows Hot, Vows To March Up With VC, Ogunbodede.

 

 By Alofe Faith and Agunbiade John

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University Branch on Thursday, 3rd February, 2022 held a solidarity congress at the First Bank Lecture Theatre to discuss the situation surrounding the strike action. Recall that the Union had earlier this week declared an indefinite strike to protest the unpaid Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for deserving members of the union.

In an interview with the Chairperson of ASUU, OAU Branch, Adeola Egbedokun, he stated that the Ibadan, Lagos, Akure and Benin zones came to the ASUU OAU congress in solidarity to fight injustice and maladministration in the university.

The Chairperson expressed further that "the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede has not seen anything, this is just the beginning of the strike because the Vice Chancellor had declared a war and we would march up with him". The ASUU chairperson affirms that the strike is a local strike supported by the national body of ASUU.

When asked why the strike is peculiar, he replied that the Vice Chancellor has refused to listen to what ASUU said regarding the earned academic allowance. He added that "this is not the first time we will paid EAA in many Universities" and you can cross-check from other universities that the money was disbursed around 11th or 12th of December 2021 which 98% have paid before the end of 2021. "It is only OAU that has refused to pay till now owing to the fact that the VC is a member of an illegal group called CONUA".

The Chairperson further stated that anytime ASUU meets with the Vice Chancellor, he always question their actions as against CONUA's. He added that ASUU fought for the money and the Union should determine how the money should be disbursed.

He said that disbursement of the Earned Academic Allowance has always been based on the template submitted by ASUU, "so if the Vice Chancellor wants to give money to a union not known by the law he should use the Non-ASUU share". The Chairperson expressed that the VC should share ASUU's Earned Academic Allowance to the Union members.

The Chairperson said that on 20th January, 2022 ASUU held a meeting with the Audit Unit where the Vice Chancellor told them he was going to take computation for verification and since that day there has not been any official communication or documentation from the Vice Chancellor on the outcome of the verification that was carried out. He added that the office of the Vice Chancellor should be more responsible in communicating officially to every stakeholder in the University.

When asked to react on what the University Management said that academics was going smoothly on campus and does it means that the impact of the strike was not felt. The chairperson expressed that "no lecture is going on on OAU campus and whatever the information the University is feeding the public is all lies and they are deceiving parents". He urges parents to visit the university to assert the level of destruction the university administration has brought upon the university".

When challenged that some classes held lectures, the chairperson stated that "any class that held is been organised by the cohort of the Vice Chancellor".

ASUU members after the congress took to the roads and academics environment and academics environment of OAU campus, chanting in protest of their unpaid Earned Academic Allowance.

OAU Sets A Date For Batch B Fresh Students Bed Space Allocation

By Olukanmi Abidemi ÀBÍMÓ

The Obafemi Awolowo University management has set a date for the allocation of bed space request for Batch B FRESH students

According to what was released on the eportal, the bed space request for Batch B fresh will be activated on Thursday, 3rd February, 2022 by 8pm. Batch B FRESH students are hereby advised to note that the request will be based on first-come, first-served basis as there are limited spaces 

OAU peeps News Agency is now using this medium to implore all Batch B Freshmen to be fully prepared and pay their school fees before the balloting date, as it is the main criteria to be qualified for the hostel balloting.

Lectures Still Continues, No Cause For Alarm: OAU Management React To ASUU Strike

The management of obafemi Awolowo has reacted to the strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union Of Universities OAU Chapter.

Recall that it was earlier reported on OAU Peeps News Agency on 31st of January 2022 how the Academics Staff Union Universities Obafemi Awolowo Chapter embarked on an indefinite strike following the resolutions of an emergency congress. 

However in a statement issued by the University PRO, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, a copy of which was sent to OAU Peeps News Agency. In the statement, the management of the school has maintained the stand that lectures still continue amidst the class

STRIKE ACTION: LECTURES STILL ONGOING IN OAU, NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.

The attention of the Management of  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, has been drawn to a circular issued by a section of the academic staff, ASUU, calling on its members to go on strike, beginning from Monday, 31st January, 2022. 

The University Management is using this medium to inform the general public, particularly our students, their parents or guardians, that overwhelming majority of the academic staff in OAU are NOT ON STRIKE neither do they have the intention of going on any strike action. In actual fact, lectures are on going and students are being attended to by lecturers in their respective departments.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that in view of this, parents, guardians, alumni and friends of the University are assured of uninterrupted academic calendar, as our students are advised to go about their normal academic activities because there is no cause for concern or alarm.

In addition, the University Management wishes to appreciate majority of our lecturers who have the interest of the students at heart, and have been teaching and attending to students.

OAU Management Make Move To End Strike, Summon Academics Staff To Emergency Meeting

By Ayomide Emmanuel

Following the declaration of indefinite strike embarked upon by the members of Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU chapter, the management of the institution has summoned the presence of the academics staff of ASUU OAU Chapter to a meeting scheduled to hold on  Tuesday 1st of Febuary 2022 to clear up the lingering issues at hand. 

Recall that it was earlier reported on OAU Peeps News Agency on 31st of January 2022 how the Academics Staff Union Universities Obafemi Awolowo Chapter embarked on an indefinite strike following the resolutions of an emergency congress. 

However, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University has made move by summoning the academics staff of the university to an emergency meeting through a memorandum which was signed by the acting director in the office of the vice-chancellor, Isaac Adejuwon and written on the instance of the vice-chancellor, to invite all academics staff of the university to an emergency meeting with the university management holding on Tuesday, 1st February, 2022.

OAU ASUU Embarks On Indefinite Strike

The obafemi Awolowo University Academics Staff Union Of Universities(ASUU) has embarked on an indefinite strike on 31st Of January 2022. 

 

According to the resolution of the emergency congress made available to OAU Peeps News Agency, the emergency congress held on Monday, 31st of January, 2022 at 10:00am. The congress noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the university to effect the payment of the EAA to deserving members. 

Furthermore, the strike cannot be called off without a congress resolution to the effect and also, the payment of EAA must be based on ASUU computation, anything of short would not be acceptable.

Great Ife Students' Union Speaks On Security Issues, Matters Arising And Steps The Union Is Taking

 

By Ayomide Emmanuel

The Great Ife Students' Union  Central Executive elect led by Comr. Olayiwola Folahan Festus popularly known as Reform has taken action regarding security issues and other matters arising on campus. 

In a Press Release  from the office of the PRO-elect, the President-elect addressed students in the various hall of residence on an announcement that was made on Sunday 30th of January 2021. 

Speaking to the students in different halls of residence, the President-elect called on all students, both fresh and returning, to be more security conscious. 

He further charged the fresh students not to yield to the antics of thieves and perpetuators of other social vices by being more security conscious and assured the students of the readiness of the union officers-elect to swifty intervene in any issue that affects their welfare.

Furthermore, speaking on the welfarism of students, he said consultation are being made on the issue of water scarcity  with a sense of urgency so that adequate water supply is restored as soon as possible. Students were however implored to exercise patience as the issue is being resolved , as it is expected that there will be water supply in the affected Halls very soon. 

OAU Management Serves Students Letters Over Protest

Faith Alofe

The Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, in a response to the peaceful protest staged by the students of the school has served query letters to students who were considered "leaders of the struggle".

 

Recall that the peaceful protest was staged as a result of the death of a student, Miss Adeshina Aishat who died at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile Ife, where she was referred to by the university’s health centre. The Management thereafter shutdown the school on October 2nd, 2021 while exams were ongoing for over a month and was later reopened November 5th for students to finish their examinations after the committee constituted by the school to carry out investigations submitted their reports.

A viral Facebook post shows a query letter dated 7th of January stating the offence supposedly committed by the students during the protest and has been given 48 hours to respond to query stating reasons why he shouldn’t be punished for the alleged offence.

Speaking to the recipient of the viral query letter, Bolade Omoyemi, a student of the departments Dramatic Arts said “ I was not at the protest ground on the first day the protest started because I got to know about it late, but I joined the second day and I have not done anything that can warrant a query letter from the school”. 

However, claims that some students in the Faculty of Law and the Departments of English and Literary Studies have also been served query letters was debunked as the concerned students confirmed that they haven't received any official letters from their respective faculties and departments so they don’t have a say on the current issue.

Also, Anonymous sources revealed that some of the elected student union officers have also been served query letters. A "student leader" who doesn’t want his name in prints affirmed that the query letter has been served to them. In his opinion, the query letter is an avenue for them to defend themselves before any further steps will be taken by the school on the issue.

Meanwhile, the query letters served to the students are not well received by the student community who see the actions taken by the school as downplaying the effort of students in fighting for rights and common interest of their colleagues.