OAU Senate shifts 2017/2018 resumption date, supports management's action against students | EduCeleb
Kabeerah Aremu
31st March 2018
Students at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, would no longer be resuming on 4th April as the university’s senate had adjusted the university’s calendar for the 2017/2018 academic year.
The university management also got the backing of the Senate on the action, taken so far, by the University Management over the issue of students’ unauthorized occupation of the rooms in the halls of residence.
These decisions were reached at the Senate’s sitting on Wednesday, 28th March, 2018.
A press release sent to EduCeleb.com by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the Professors, frowned at the rate of moral decadence among the students.
Recall that five students in the school recently engaged the management on their dislodgement from their hostel and had spent days in the prison over what the management termed the harassment of staff members and unlawful of student’s tenancy which elapsed when the last session ended.
The arrested students were later arraigned before the Ife Magistrate Court. Their names are Gbenga Olaniran, Oyedeji Samson, Olajide Adedamola, Jimoh Oladipupo and Adeniji John.
Upon their arraignment before Hon. Magistrate F.I Omisade penultimate Thursday, the court had ruled that the students remained remanded in prison till they are able to meet their bail condition of two (2) sureties on grade level 14 with five hundred thousand-naira (N500, 000) bail bond each.
The students maintained innocence from any wrongdoing as they claim that they were only continuing with their academic activities and saw no need for the “harassment” by the management since they never actually assaulted any staff.
While the 2016/2017 academic year had ended earlier in February, the embattled students had stayed back on campus during the holiday for teaching practice and Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programmes.
The affected students got released from incarceration after meeting up with the bail conditions last Wednesday. Their situation had been widely condemned by rights groups and students’ bodies.
But the university’s professors who constitute the Senate endorsed the decision of the management so far. Mr Olanrewaju quoted them as urging the Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede-led administration to use all lawful means to enforce obedience to the school rules and regulations, so that “our students will be found worthy in learning and character; therefore be qualified to obtain our degrees, certificates and diplomas.”
Accordingly, the Senate gave the University Management the mandate to ask students, who are still resident in the halls, to vacate their apartments/rooms, latest by Friday, 30th March, 2018.
It also added that any student, who is still illegally occupying any room within the University halls of residence, would be viewed to have violated his/her matriculation oath, and such a student will be sanctioned appropriately.
On the shift in resumption date for 2017/2018 academic session, the Senate approved that new students will now go into their campus residence on Sunday, 29th April, 2018, instead of 3rd April that was earlier announced.
Olanrewaju said that was in order to give enough time for proper repair and comprehensive renovation of all the halls of residence in order to make it more comfortable for the students.
“Parents and Guardians are hereby enjoined to take note of the new date and prepare their children/wards for resumption accordingly,” he added.