Trouble Looms In OAU, as NANS, NAUS Mobilise Students Leaders For Showdown

As reactions continue to trail the closure of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ilé-Ifè, following the protest championed by the students over the death of their colleague, Adesina Aishat wumi on Thursday, students’ groups have knocked and threatened a showdown with the management for such ‘draconic’ step.

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, South-West Zone, and its counterpart, National Associations of Universities Students, NAUS, in a separate release obtained by Vreporters on Friday evening condemned the closure and called on the management to address the issue leading to the death of Wunmi.

The groups noted that, the management unholy decision to shut down the school is not unexpected, as they call on students’ union leaders in South-West Zone to converge at the school gate to press home their grievances.

The release by Odunayo Kọ̀wé led Association in the zone read in part; “As an association, we find it appalling that the University management could go to the extent of twisting the narrative by saying that she was adequately treated.

“Meanwhile, reverse was the case. It is on good record that the helpless student was abandoned and was certified brought-in-dead at Seventh Day Hospital, Mayfair for treatment where she gave up the ghost. But, the management in their characteristic manner had to lie that she was promptly treated of severe infection (which they could not even name). The fact that the management could not name the ‘severe infection’ is a testament to the fact that they lied.

“As against the content of the 4th paragraph of the circular that was issued by the University management, there was no attempt by the University management “to call the students to order and allow normalcy to return to the campus and its environs…”.

“Rather, the VC refused to heed all calls to come out and address the protesting students who were actually requesting for his presence at the protest ground. And, it is public knowledge that the students did not at any point in time during the cause of the protest engage in any form of “unbridled brigandage” not to talk of breaking any known law. At least, protest is an internationally recognised right and the students were still acting within the prism of their fundamental rights. Issues are very clear!

“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 by 8am for a showdown until the management rescind the decision”.

NAUS in its own release by its publicity secretary, Shoneye Abdul-Azeez also joins NANS leadership in the zone to condemn the shut down of the institution and demands that the Federal Government of Nigeria set up an independent panel to investigate the ugly occurrence also, an autopsy must be carried out to confirm the circumstances surrounding her death.

Recall that the management in its second release on Friday as published on this medium directed the students staying in the school’s halls of residence to vacate their respective rooms and also halted the ongoing rain semester examination.