Hoodlums Invade OAU, Poison Dam Over Land Dispute

By PUNCH Newspapers

The land dispute between the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in Osun State and some indigenes of the ancient town has assumed a new dimension as some of the aggrieved persons, claiming ownership of some portions of the university land, invaded the university on Wednesday and reportedly poisoned the university dam.

Sources in the university told our correspondent on Friday that some indigenes, who claimed their land was taken for the university when it was established in 1962, had been selling some portions of the land.

The sources said the aggrieved indigenes were challenged by the university and stopped from further trespassing.

But the issue was said to have taken another dimension, when some of the aggrieved land owners allegedly invaded the university from the Parakin area and headed for the Opa Dam, which is the only source of water to the university community.

Before the university security operatives could challenge them, the armed hoodlums were said to have poured poisonous chemicals in the dam which killed all the fishes and aquatic animals there.

A worker at the university, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the hoodlums would have caused a disaster in the university if the officials had pumped the water to hostels and staff quarter that day.

He said, “The university’s security personnel raised the alarm after chasing away the hoodlums. Everything inside the dam died and we have not pumped water since that time.”

Based on this, the Vice-Chancellor of the OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, had petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Abiodun Ige, urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.

The vice-chancellor also copied the Director of Department of State Services in Osun State, Mr Brown Ekwoaba, stressing that the university would not engage in any illegal act on the issue.

A source made available a copy of the letter dated April 3, 2019 with reference number:VC.26(i)Vol.Vol.1/64 to our correspondent.

The letter read, “On the 3rd April, 2019 at about 15:00hours, a report of invasion and pollution of the university dam by a group of people, who claimed to be members of Great Ife Development Board was received by the security unit of the university.

“The group of people, who were fully armed with guns, axes, cutlasses, etc, invaded the lower level of OAU dam and polluted the water with chemicals which led to the death of several fishes and other aquatic animals.

The report also indicated that these criminally-minded individuals gained access into the dam through a portion of the university land at Parakin area, Ile-Ife, where there had been several reports of land encroachment by some Ife indigenes.

Late Course Registration To Commence Tomorrow

This is to inform all great Ife students that the normal course registration as stated in the academic calendar will end  Sunday,April 7,2019 while late course registration will commence on Monday April 8,2019.

Dear Fresher- ‘Joba Ojelabi

Dear Fresher,

I write to you to share with you a different perspective to some of the realities that would house you for the next few years. Under normal circumstances, this letter should meet you in a place of excitement and curiosity. After all, it is scientific for any normal creature to want to explore when introduced to novelty. But we are not all always under normal circumstances and this perhaps is first thing you must learn. In the next few days, almost everything you would encounter would be novel to you and as such might require some getting used to, especially the people. Sometimes what you refer to as normal might be grossly abnormal to someone else. In situations where you have to share some resources with such a person, it becomes imperative to find a mutually accepted common ground. This ability to reach compromises you would need as its need would arise in every facet of your new life; in hostels, classrooms, and with things as seemingly meagre as public transport. The sooner you learn to live as a social entity, the easier your settling in becomes. 

However, in as much you must try to integrate into your new society, you must also learn to hold onto the individuality of self. The university is a beautiful place; one that affords a person a lot of opportunities both within and outside the classroom. So, you must learn to maximize your time within these walls, for in the end, it really is every man for himself. However, one thing I have come to find is that the walk-through Ife is easier with the right kind of friends. Therefore, at this stage, it is important to not deeply commit to any alliances until you can adequately determine the personalities involved. This also extends to larger associations, societies and even fellowships. Do take your time to understand what these organizations truly stand for before promising to become a member. The fresh year is often the experimenting year; trying out new things, visiting new places, meeting new people. 

Interestingly, some of these things can have more serious consequences than others. While attending a wide array of fellowships might not have any consequence than perhaps diarrhea from one of the welcome packages, using and abusing drugs might have more life-threatening effects. So Dear Fresher, you must learn to thread with caution in the cause of your experimentation.  

There is a popular saying that it is one the to pass through the school and it is another thing for the school to pass through you. Interestingly, this saying has been the basis of a number of mistakes in the University. Making friends and learning from older colleagues could help with this.

Speaking of older colleagues, I assume that by now you have come by a number of them already. Just as is in life, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Sometimes, it only takes a closer look to know the difference. I did woefully in Moz101 and as much as a part of me hopes that you do too, this is not to say that some of the most beautiful love stories have not come from that legendary carpark. Sadly, some of the most horrible ones have too.

Beyond all, you must strongly commit to your academic pursuit. Whatever goals you have should be clearly spelt out and you should get to work on developing workable strategies to achieving them. However, you must also prepare for other eventualities as you would come to see in time that things do not always go the way we plan them. Personally, I have had some of the worst days of my life on campus but this does not in any way take away the good days. And at the end of it all, it all just goes to show the interesting mix of colours called life. 

Dear Fresher, I don’t write you from a place of perfection and so this might seem to you as mere musings. I have had my highs and lows and have come to discover that sometimes, life is best experienced with a little bit of both. So, as you commence this journey with hope and excitement, I hope you are able to find and focus on the things that really matter and at the end of it all, I hope that you know happiness. For perhaps that is all that truly matters.

Regards,
‘Joba Ojelabi

Resumption Not Postponed --OAU Public Relations Officer

This is to inform the great Ife community that the resumption for the 2018/2019 session has not been postponed. This was confirmed by the University public relations officer, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju yesterday. In his words "Resumption is not postponed, students should resume".

It will be recalled the resumption for the 2018/2019 session has been scheduled for March 30,2019 (Freshers ) and April 7,2019(Returning Students)

The Dilemma of Moral Instructions: Exploring the Fela Falana Construct

Thoughts on Falz's Moral Instruction Album by 'Joba Ojelabi

If a need to rank art forms ever arose, it might not be entirely foolish to bet that music would clinch the top ranks. With the diverse genres and musical subclassifications that exist, it remains perhaps the most relatable form of art. While a person might find it difficult to see the beauty of a painting, or appreciate the imperfections of a sculpture, it’s safer to assume that there’s a song for every man or at least every mood. Whether it’s the solemn sound of Yaani or the aggressive vibrations that characterizes the metallic genre of music, there’s someone that vibrates on the same frequency. This is why music, as a form of art, has over time been used when there’s a need to communicate with the public.

By hiding their message in the lyrics of a song, brands have been able to sell their products, politicians have able to get their names on the lips of the masses, and activists have been able to spread their ideals; hence the essence of protestant music. And of course, if protest and music occur in the same sentence, you can be sure there’s a “Fela” hanging somewhere, so much that even dear Uncle Folarin couldn’t pull one off without inviting Anikulapo from the grave.

For some of us 90s kids, “Moral Instruction” might not sound so strange. It was a compulsory subject in the Primary school curriculum at the time. I remember that I had the same notebook for Current Affairs and Moral Instruction and once in Moral instruction class, the teacher asked me to pronounce “Conscience” and I did, as “Con” and “Science” and was the joke of the class for a while. Moral Instruction class was the one class that sought to teach moral virtues, to show us, even as little boys, the concept of right and wrong and push us in the “right” direction. Looking back now, I cannot say the Moral instruction classes did not have any effects. I am unsure if the motivation for Falz’s latest album was from one of those classes but there’s no disagreeing with the fact that only a few names would have more aptly described his latest album like “Moral Instruction”.

The album which is only nine track long features several other artistes both living and dead as Falz does a lot of sampling of vocals and beats from the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti. So much that you could refer to the work as a Falz-Fela Mixtape. However, apart from beats and vocals, another thing that links to Fela is its Social consciousness. Over the nine tracks, Falz manages to explore a number of trending societal issues. This of course is the highlight of the album as, as expected, it goes on to spike varying reactions, some of which places Falz and his seemingly controversial album in the social media spotlight for a while. However, with a father like Femi Falana, it might not be too surprising that dear uncle Folarin treads the path of conscious music.

The album opens with “Johnny” which is a play on the popular Nigerian clause “Johnny just come” which is more commonly used to describe newbies in street slangs. Falz however adds a twist to the clause, using “Johnny just drop” and using the track to highlight the several avoidable killings around the country. “Follow Follow” comes on with blaring trumpets and the unmissable voice of Fela himself. A voice we would still come to hear later on in the album. However, in delivering a number of tracks, Falz gets help from some names we’ve heard before. The sonorous voice of Demmie Vee in “Hypocrite”, Sess, the alleged problem kid, in “Brother’s Keeper” and Chillz in “Paper”.

Interestingly, somehow the dead Fela still manages to outdo the living in Moral Instruction.
Something that makes the album quite beautiful, if that is the word to use, is the completeness of its content. Such that from even within the songs, Falz tries to predict the reaction of listeners to the content of his lyrics and addresses them. This he does successfully in “Amen” which address religious bigotry and fraudulence and is more deeply entrenched in the last track on the album which is nothing but a vocal acceptance of the fallibility of the thoughts expressed in the album.

For the reality of morality is no one can be absolute about right and wrong. And whether it’s a Primary school teacher trying to make ends meet, a rebel trying to sing his country into the light or the son of an activist igniting the first fires of his activism, no one really is perfect when it comes to moral instructions. In the words of Falz, “After all said and done, I do not have the right to direct the finger of guilt or look of contempt at my guy, for even I can barely see through the speck in my eye…”. But then again, perhaps it is this imperfection, or rather the acceptance of it, that makes “Moral Instruction” a beautiful piece of art. And of course, its social consciousness makes it timeless, such that when posterity look back at political landmarks of 2019, they’d remember that Nigeria had elections and just maybe that Falz dropped an album.

OAU Resumption Dates Postponed

This is to inform the great Ife students that resumption dates for 2018/2019 Academic Session has been postponed.

FRESH STUDENTS --March 30,2019

• RETURNING STUDENTS - April 7,2019

How We Intend To Create Employment, Boost Economy through The Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition- Creative Director,Technology Market

How We Intend To  Create Employment, Boost Economy through The  Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition- Creative Director,Technology Market

Organizers of the Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition scheduled to commence from Osun state have spoken extensively on why they are embarking on the two day program. 

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja , the Creative Director of the Nigerian Technology Market,Olanrewaju Oyedeji  noted that Technology and Information Technology remains a pivotal tool for development in Nigeria and thus the important need for the Exhibition Program.

"We have decided to go to campuses with the aim to ensure that young minds who have Technology and Information Technology ideas are given a platform to showcase what they have got. We believe strongly that with our plans , we will be doing the society alot of good" he noted.

Speaking further on the plan to create employment through the Exhibition program, Olanrewaju noted that participants will be beneficiaries of different sessions of workshops and will also be empowered towards making a living from the training they may have gotten at the program .
"We will hold different workshops at the event while international organizations and firms will be invited to scout for big brains in the Technology and Information Technology field at the program. We believe that with the retraining they will receive at the Exhibition, they can also go on to train others "


Olanrewaju also stated that the Exhibition Program will bring Technology and Information Technology  ideas that can help to solve peculiar economic problems in the country . He also noted that the ideas will be executed.


It was gathered that the program will feature students who have interest in Information Technology and Technology, corporate firms, academics, government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders in the Technology and information Technology sector.

It was gathered that more enquiries can be made through 08164847752 or admin@technologymarket.com.ng.

The Exhibition Program has been scheduled for June 7&8 in Osun state while date for other States will be subsequently announced .