The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of University students have condemned the closure of Obafemi Awolowo University, following a protest yesterday by students after the death of one Omowunmi Aishat, a 400 level student of Foreign languages.
Omowunmi Aishat died at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital after being transferred from the university clinic. It was gathered that her unstable health even after being treated at the university clinic led to her being transferred.
Students took to the street to protest the death of their colleague and a revamp of the institution health centre.
In a press release obtained by WITHIN NIGERIA, the management of the institution ordered the closure of the university “to forestall further breakdown of law and order”. Students were equally told to vacate their halls of resistance and the campus latest 12:00 noon, October 2nd, 2021.
Part of the statement reads
“The management condemns in strong terms the continuous and uncontrolled protests by the students culminating in unbridled brigandage, blocking the Ife/ibadan and Ife/Ede highways and other adjoining roads that could be hard as alternative routes, and engaging in other acts that are detrimental to their health and safety of the generality of the people”
“Therefore having exhausted all necessary avenues to call the students to order and allow normalcy to return to the campus and its environs, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, have accordingly closed down the school until further notice. This is to forestall further breakdown of law and order”
NAUS, NANS reacts
The National Association of University students in a Press release signed by the association Public Relations officer, Sonoye Lekan, condemned the closure of the university.
In the Press release, the association tagged the vice Chancellor, Prof. Ogunbodede as being incompetent, unsympathetic and lacks goodwill.
Part of the statement reads
“In a usual manner of despotic University management, which the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ogunbodede represent, rather than come out to address the protesting students and sympathise with them, he ordered a press release wherein the peaceful agitation of the students was condemned and the university is declared shutdown with an order that students must vacate their hostels in less than 24hours”
“We strongly condemn the statement in totality and declare Ogunbodede as incompetent, unsympathetic and lacking goodwill to continue as being Vice Chancellor of the prestigious University. We demand he rescind his unapologetic decision to shutdown the school and reverse his statement on condemnation of the peaceful protest”
Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have reacted to the closure of OAU.
In a Press statement signed by the Association Zone D Coordinator, Kowe Amos, the association told students to protest against the management decision.
Part of the statement reads
“In unison, the Zonal leadership condemned the reckless closure of the University by the management and call on the VC to, as a matter of urgency and necessity reopen the institution for students to continue their examinations”
“We make bold to assert that if the University management should fail to announce the reopening of the University, the Zonal leadership shall relocate its secretariat to Obafemi Awolowo University campus gate until the VC reverse the decision. Also, we shall be calling for the removal of the University Vice-Chancellor at that spot and we shall be mobilising in our numbers”
“We therefore call on students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and charge all SUGs across the South West to put everything in place to arrive OAU campus gate tomorrow for a showdown until the management rescind the decision”
With the closure of the university, the ongoing rain semester examinations have been suspended till further notice.
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