The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has declared an indefinite mid-semester break for students.
This was the outcome of an emergency Senate meeting held on Sunday.
According to the public relations officer of the school, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, the students are to go home and rest.
According to him, the indefinite mid- semester break for students has nothing to do with the on-going strike by the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), OAU chapter which has shut down the school.
Members of NASU, are currently at loggers-head with the school management over their unpaid 64 months arrears and have shut down provision of essential services on campus since last week’s wednesday.
According to a source, the management took the decision at the senate meeting because of information that the strike might get intense from Monday as NASU members from all other universities will be storming OAU as early as 6am to solidarise with their OAU counterpart.
“There is also a possibility of police getting drafted into campus anytime soon,so as to prevent total breakdown of law and order on campus,” the source said.
Law students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, did Nigeria proud when they beat their counterparts from the University of Pretoria to win the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Competition, a regional contest held at the Pretoria High Court in South Africa. CALEB ADEBAYO (Graduating law student) reports.
•Varsity wins regional Law contest
You could cut through the tension in the Palace of Justice of the Pretoria High Court in South Africa that day with a knife. The courtroom was filled with people who came to watch legal fireworks by the opposing counsel. The outcome of the case was not to jail anyone; it was all part of the thrills and frills at the grand finale of the regional Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Contest held in Pretoria.
Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, thrilled members of the audience with their knowledge of the law when they met their counterparts from the University of Pretoria at the final of the competition. OAU students won.
•The moot session
The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Competition is a yearly contest where law students worldwide show their litigation proficiency in proceedings based on international space law disputes. The contest imitates proceedings at the International Court of Justice.
This year’s edition was hosted by the South African Council for Space Affairs (SACSA), a space science regulatory body affiliated to South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative.
The argument centred on dispute between two hypothetical countries – SPIDR and URA. It was to present issues relating to the response to a threat posed by the risk of collision of the earth with Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Counsel from each school addressed the utilisation of natural resources and liability for damages occasioned by the NEOs.
Six African universities, including OAU, University of Pretoria, Niger Delta University also from Nigeria, Makerere University in Uganda, University of Juba in South Sudan, and Mount Kenya University, participated in the competition.
The OAU counsel comprised John Odey, Peace Onashile and Toheeb Amuda, the team’s researcher. All of them are 400-Level students. Their lecturer, Dr Oduola Orifowomo, was their coach.
For three days, the teams argued their cases on the legality of outer space science. The OAU team beat the University of Pretoria and Niger Delta University at the preliminary stages.
Phethole Sekhula, a South African lawyer, Icho Kealetswe, an advocate of the High Court of Botswana and Christopher Okegbe, a solicitor from Nigeria presided over the final.
The grand finale was a show of forensic advocacy and oratorical skills as the counsel came up with their arguments. For every principle of law cited by the South African team, the OAU counsel had an answer.
It was be the fourth time OAU would be winning the regional contest. It won it in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The team also won the Best Written Brief of Argument award.
The OAU students described the feat as “hard-won”, saying they faced many hurdles to win the contest. They praised their coach, whose expertise in space law, they said, helped them to come up with valid arguments.
Peace said: “The competition gave us the opportunity to engage our peers in other parts of Africa in an area of law which is seemingly unregulated. We matched our advocacy acuity with oratorical skills to win the contest.”
Asked about the team’s winning secret, John, the lead speaker, said: “From the onset, we were confronted with vague terms on the field of law that we were not familiar with. It was our task to break it down to understand the meaning of the terms to present our cases in Space Law. The team was conscious of the responsibility placed upon it and we moved faster to argue our points. The victory was not easy to come by; we fought hard and came out successful at the end.”
Dr Orifowomo hailed the students for the feat, saying his team proved to be formidable with its grasp of the fundamentals of space law as exhibited by the members. He dedicated the victory to the moot and mock group of its OAU’s Faculty of Law, hailing its commitment to the knowledge of space law.
Dr Orifowomo also praised the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, and the Dean of Law, Prof M.O. Adediran, for their support.
The OAU students will represent Africa in the international edition of the contest in Israel in October. It will be held during the 66th International Astronautical Congress.
The joy of 59 outstanding undergraduates of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) knew no bounds when they won scholarships worth over N3 million during the OAU Muslim Graduates’ Association’s annual reunion convention held at the institution’s campus in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
On hand to present the scholarship to the lucky students were erudite lawyer and business tycoon, Dr. Wale Babalakin, who was also the guest speaker at the event; chairman board of trustees of the association, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti; National President, Prof. Abdulwahab Egbewole; chairman of the occasion, and Secretary General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.
One of the recipients from the Faculty of Arts (who does not wish to be named) thanked the organisers of the scholarship for making their dreams come true.
“As you can see some of us are from the less privileged homes but endowed with extra-ordinary intellect by Almighty Allah. Through benevolence of these people, we have been able to achieve our dreams which would have been jeopardised due to financial constraints. I pray that God will continue to bless them and enlarge their coasts,” she said.
National President of the association, Prof Egbewole, said through the initiative, the group has been able to touch many lives.
“Since the inception of the programme in 2009/2010 academic session, UNIFEMGA has awarded scholarship to students of OAU worth N17, 566,000.00. It is gratifying to note and put on record that 16 of our awardees bagged First Class degrees at the last convocation of the university,” he said.
Egbewole implored the awardees to learn one lesson from the gesture: that giving back to the society is the only way it can be sustained.
Also speaking, the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Ayobami Salami, praised the association for its benevolence and support to the university.
“For so many years, they have been consistent and exceptional in awarding scholarship to their students. If we can assist five or six of them, the story will not be the same. As an institution, we will continue to partner with you,” Salami said.
Founded over two decades ago, apart from providing the scholarship to outstanding undergraduates and postgraduate students, the association seeks to educate, enlighten and address societal issues.
The annual convention in its 11th year running provides opportunity to members and the academic community to celebrate, network and seek ways to improve their alma mater.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Chief Imam of OAU Central Mosque, Prof. Abubakar Sanusi; Governor Rauf Aregebsola of Osun State, who was represented by Mr Basil Lawal; Alhaji Ahmed Popoola, and Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odeyimka.
Fresh facts have emerged on how a lecturer in the Environmental Design Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Femi Omisore, was kidnapped on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
It was gathered that unknown gunmen shot at the fuel tank of the lecturer’s car when his driver attempted to flee.
The kidnappers were said to have pursued the lecturer, who was on his way to Oye-Ekiti, until they eventually caught up with him and shot his driver.
According to a source, the lecturer’s car caught fire.
The source added: “A car was trailing him (the lecturer) and his driver tried to escape but he was caught. The driver tried so much to avoid being overtaken by the gun men but it is painful that he did not succeed. They eventually killed him.”
The chairman of the OAU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, said: “It is true. He was taken away and his driver was killed. His car was also burnt.”
Activities marking the national reunion and annual convention of the Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA), will kick off tomorrow in Osun State.
Tagged: ‘2015 annual convention’, the event begins tomorrow through to Sunday at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) campus.
A public lecture with the theme: ‘The challenge of doing business in Nigeria: The Muslim options’ will be delivered by the guest speaker, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN The chairman of the occasion is the Secretary-General of the Islamic Supreme Council of Nigeria, Prof. Isaq Oloyede.
In a statement UNIFEMGA national vice-president, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odeyinka, the event would comprise a Jumaat Service on tomorrow at the university’s Central Mosque. There body would also pay a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tale Omole at the OAU Secretariat same day. Cocktail for the OAU Muslim community comes up at 5pm and would be rounded up at 8pm with a family picnic.
A keep fit exercise would kick off the next day after which members would converge at the Oduduwa Hall for the aforementioned public lecture. Other activities include: students’ empowerment programme by First Bank building, while the association’ will hold at the OAU Central Mosque, Odeyinka added.
The grand finale comes up on Sunday with a keep fit and a press briefing on the activities of the association so far.
Founded over two decades ago, Odeyinka said aside providing annual scholarship award for outstanding undergraduates and postgraduates students, UNIFEMGA’s aims and objectives is also to educate, enlighten and address societal issues.
The annual convention, according to the statement, would offer a window of opportunities to members and the academic community to celebrate and discuss latest social developments from around the world.
Members will also use the opportunity to network and seek ways to improve their alma mater as well reunite and bond with fellow classmates and their families.
The annual public lecture/luncheon of the Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU) Muslim.
Graduates’Association Lagos chapter will come up in Lagos on Sunday.
The event holds at the Lagoon Restaurant, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island.
The lecture themed: ‘The Journey of excellence: Making Nigeria a Tertiary education hub for Africa’ will be chaired by Prof. Obini Ekpe, of the Department of Physics, Ebonyi State University. The guest speaker is the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of Nigeria (SCIA) Prof. Isaq Oloyede.
A statement signed by the association’s Lagos Chapter’s chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Buari, said the association was formed over 20 years ago with the purpose of fostering brotherhood amongst its members, educating and enlightening the general society on topical issues as well as giving humanitarian assistances to the less privileged.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Alhaji Abdul Rafiu Ebiti, and the national president Prof. Abdul Wahab Egbewole, will be chief host and host respectively.
Sifax Group, a multinational corporation with diverse interests in maritime, aviation, haulage and logistics, oil and gas and hospitality, has donated an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus to the medical students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife under the aegis of Ife University Medical Students Association (IFUMSA).
Presenting the bus on the university campus, the Head, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Sifax Group, Mr. Oliver Omajuwa, said corporate social responsibility is at the core of the company’s business philosophy.
He said: “Sifax Group has a philosophy of positively impacting the society. The company is not only about profit making but contributing its quota to the development of critical areas. One of such key areas for us is education. From primary school to the university level, Sifax Group has been supporting institutions through various avenues, especially the provision of infrastructure and equipment.
“This bus donation is in furtherance of our belief that the private sector has an important role to play in the improvement of the quality of education in the country. We are particularly excited that this bus would be of great help to the medical students, in particular and the university as a whole.”
The Provost, College of Health Sciences, Prof Adesegun Fatusi, noted that universities need to build solid partnerships with various stakeholders in order to fulfil their objectives. These stakeholders, according to Fatusi, include corporate organisations, alumni, parents, students, and staff, among others. He said these partnerships are necessary in view of the inadequate allocations the universities receive from the governments.
Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ile, Osun State, have disrupted activities at the Ife Central Local Government Area over the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude them from the ad-hoc staff being trained for the general elections.
The protesters also disrupted the training for the selected ad-hoc staff held by INEC at Baptist Secondary School, Ile-Ife. The protesters claimed their names were removed after undergoing screening by the commission.
But, a worker of the commission, who addressed the students, said INEC did not discriminate against them, noting that a few ad-hoc staff were weeded out of the large number of people who showed interest.
The officer said: “In Ife Central Local Government, we needed less than 800 ad-hoc staff, but more than 5,000 people applied, including the students. But we got a directive from Abuja that we should engage ex-Corps members and the one serving for the elections. We have 700 personnel being trained for the exercise. This means we will no longer need service of students to conduct the elections.”
A protester, Kehinde Oyeleke, said he was disappointed when he could not find his name on lists after he has spent money and time to be part of the ad-hoc staff.
“When they knew that they would not require our service, why did they ask students to register online for ad-hoc personnel training,” he said.
Another student, Sola Adeoye, said: “I have information that students are employed to be part of the ad-hoc staff. It is only in local governments in Ife they are telling students to go away.”
The protesters did not allow INEC officials to continue with the training, urging them to allow students to be part of the exercise.
The demonstration led to the indefinite suspension of the ad-hoc personnel training.
The pioneer set of the Obafemi Awolowo University’s Centre for Distance Learning (OAUCDL) took the matriculation oath of the university with assurances that they would receive top quality education online.
The OAU is one of the universities accredited by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to operate the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education.
The students, numbering over 200, were admitted to study Nursing and Accounting.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, congratulated the students for being the first set to enrol for the university’s ODL mode of education, which has been designed to fully function on the e-learning platform.
The students will receive all their lectures on customised tablets (Vigitab) that have been pre-loaded with various learning resources for them.
Assuring the students of the worth of the programme at the matriculation which held at the Oduduwa Hall, OAU, Omole, said: “You have the singular honour of being the first set of students in our eLearning programme, the first of its type in Nigeria. I congratulate you on being pioneers of the eLearning revolution in the country. I want to assure you that your distance learning mode of admission does not in any way imply inferiority in status, compared to our conventional students, either in terms of lecture delivery or the certificates you receive at the end of your programmes.
“Our university guards jealously the integrity of its degrees and diplomas whether obtained in the conventional or distance learning mode. Hence your various curricula have gone through the usual high standards of excellence of the University Senate for which Obafemi Awolowo University is well known.”
The Director, Centre for Distance Learning, Prof Bode Asubiojo, said the students would find their tablets function as their classrooms irrespective of their locations.
“This development is the first of its kind in Nigeria and we are pleased with it. We have replicated the classroom experience on a tablet device for students. For the first time, students can receive lectures, submit assignments, participate in forums, take quizzes, and even rewind their lectures, all from the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they may be in Nigeria or abroad,” he said.
The eLearning solution is powered by a Learning Management System (VigiLearn) that allows students to receive lectures, submit assignments, discuss with their classmates, participate in group discussions and get graded without being physically within the four walls of a lecture room. The Vigitab is specifically built for Nigeria and allow for users to continue to study and receive lectures with limited internet connection. Asubiojo said with the online platform, many more Nigerians would be able to access university education.
“Our primary charge at the Centre for Distance Learning of ObafemiAwolowo University is to provide quality education to the teeming number of Nigerian youths who possess the prerequisite qualifications for entry to Nigerian Universities but are denied admission owing to inadequate facilities on campus and the working class who are desirous of pursuing undergraduate and post graduate programmes whilst still retaining their jobs,” he said.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will, for two days, lead the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, community in an interdenominational annual prayer and thanksgiving service to usher in the year 2015.
A release by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that Pastor Adeboye is expected to arrive the university campus and be received by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole and other principal officers of the university on Thursday for the two-day programmme.
The man of God is expected to commit the OAU management, staff, students and the general community of Ile-Ife into the hands of God for divine guidance, peace, protection, industrial harmony infrastructural development and academic excellence this year.
