Appointment of New VC: OAU Students’ Union Tells Management What To Do Should Protest Persist

As students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, continue to bear the brunt of seeming face-off between aggrieved indigenes of Ile-Ife and the management over the emergence of non-indigene as the Vice Chancellor of the government owned institution, the Olayiwola led students’ union has advised the management on what to do to safe its teeming members from harassment by the protesters.

The students’ union in a statement jointly signed by its President, the Public Relations Officer, and the General Secretary; Olayiwola Feranmi Festus, Ogunperi Taofeek Olalekan, and Odewale Samuel Damilare respectively on Monday advised the authorities to shut down the school should the violent protest persist beyond three days.

The Union accused the protesters of going over the board to press home their agitations.

The statement read: “Sequel to the release (GREATIFESU/2122/006) made in respect to the protest held by some persons at campus gate on Friday, 18 March 2022, the ongoing protest which today gravitated into campus from campus gate with various demonstrations, the Union has met with the Management of the University to ensure that the situation is arrested, as lives of Union members are threatened. It is obvious that, should the current situation endure, our members will continue to bear the brunts of this crisis.

“The Union strongly condemns the barbaric acts perpetuated by the protesters, including but not only beating and harassing members of our Union. Indeed, intellectualism reflects poorly on this group of people who claim to be fighting for a right in an academic setting as ours but enjoy practicing beastly skills on our Union members.

“Based on the aforementioned, the Union has demanded that the Management of the University, if the protests do not subside in 72 hours, should close the University until the crisis is over. Informing this decision is also the fact that the protesters are scaling up their affront on our University community and its immediate community where a large number of our members live. Without proactive measures to address this crisis, it is not impossible that the protesters will invade the campus at any time and further inconvenience the University community such that Union members suffer.

“The Union, with all sense of responsibility and its revolutionary decorum, will keep Union members abreast of developments as they affect them. Union members are implored to stay out of harm’s way. The Union cannot and will not be quiet over this issue – we cannot afford having Union members as casualties of this confrontation!”.