It is misleading to attribute student's suicide to poor academic performance, OAU insists | EduCeleb
Kabeerah Aremu
6th August 2019
The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has described as misleading, the reports suggesting that one of its students who recently committed suicide to her poor academic performance.
A 400 level student in the Department of English at the school, Opeyemi Dara was reported to have died after taking a poisonous substance over the weekend. Some newspaper platforms had largely attributed this to her falling grades but the University insisted that was not accurate.
The authorities of OAU commiserated with the parents, guardians, colleagues, friends and well wishers of late Miss Dara.
“The authorities of the University would, however, like to use this medium to put the records straight,” OAU Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju said in a statement sent to EduCeleb.com on Monday.
He stated that it was the second time Dara would be taking the poisonous substance known as Sniper that eventually led to her death.
The lady who resided off-campus, allegedly first took the Sniper on 22nd April, 2019, “but the Security Unit of the University, on getting the information, went to her house, took her first to the University Health Centre where she was referred to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC).”
“She was treated and discharged home to her parents.”
She was said to have been brought in by the parents and readmitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the OAUTHC last Thursday 1st of August after another dose of Sniper, and she unfortunately died the next day.
“There are indications that she had an underlying medical condition,” he added.
Olanrewaju said Miss Dara was on a Cummulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.68 which qualified her, at least, to be an average student on a 2 – 2 class of grade.
“It is, therefore, our firm belief that a student who was on Second Class ((Lower Division) can not be said to be poor academically, talk less of committing suicide because of such,” he emphasised.
“In actual fact, Opeyemi DARA did NOT have any outstanding course except her project which she was yet to submit.”
“The project couldn’t have been a challenge to her because she had authored two books – ‘Heels on Steel’ (a play) and ‘ Let Me Run Mad Today (a poem) both published by the Words Rhymes and Rhythm Limited (www.wrr.ng).”
“Opeyemi DARA was admitted to the University in the 2014/2015 academic session and her graduating year result (2017/2018) indicate that SHE HAD PASSED ALL THE DEPARTMENTAL COURSES except.  Research Method and Project (EGL 420).  She had NOT submitted any essay for grading which is understandable by virtue of her encounter of April 22 and the fact that she had not reported in the University since then.”
“The Obafemi Awolowo University has a very robust Student Advisory System which has been in place for decades, and the university has the highest number of dedicated Guidance Counsellors of any university in Nigeria.”
“The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede has appealed to all staff and students of the University to take advantage of the mechanisms put in place by the University administration in addressing all academic, social, medical and other challenges.”
“All youths are advised never to see suicide as an option, since tough times do not last but are only passing phases in the lives of all mortals.”