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Tag: OAU

  • Suspected kidnapper of OAU lecturer arrested

    A suspect among the abductors of the senior lecturer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Prof. Olayinka Adegbehingbe, has been arrested by the police.

    Adegbehingbe, an orthopaedic surgeon, was kidnapped at Apomu junction along Ife/Ibadan expressway, identified the suspect, who was brought before the lecturer by the police.

    The lecturer spent two days with his abductors after he had paid N5.045 million ransom.

    According to the Police Commissioner Mrs. Abiodun Ige, the suspect, whom she did not want his name in prints for security reasons, was apprehended by the police through information from the people in the community, where the incident had happened.

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    Addressing reporters after parading some suspects of other crimes, including armed robbery and burglary, said: “The command through the operation Puff Arder, in collaboration with the community support, got a reliable information that led to the arrest of some hoodlums who have been terrorising the Ikire axis and particularly the kidnap suspect of Prof. Adegbehingbe and one Alfa Sure from Niger State, who was wandering around along the Ikire axis.

    “The police carried out an identification parade on the suspect and the professor identified one of them.”

    Among the suspects paraded for various offences include Hussman Ladan from Sokoto State, Samaila Gede, Kemu Rejuli and Jubril Momhammed from Niger Republic.

  • OAU student commits suicide over failed courses

    A student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Kolapo Olowoporoku, has committed suicide.

    According to a close source, Olowoporoku took his life in the early hours of Sunday for repeatedly failing  some courses.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that Olowoporoku had been battling frustration and depression over courses he borrowed and failed from both the departments of Civil Engineering, and Computer Science.

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    The source, who claimed to be close to the deceased, said the latter usually approached him for counseling anytime he was worried, adding that he (source) never hesitated to lend him a helping hand by telling him never to give up.

    The deceased, who was an executive in the department association, was supposed to have graduated with the 2016/2017 session, but for the failed courses.

  • Poisoning of OAU dam, act of genocide—Management

    The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has described the poisoning of its dam by suspected hoodlums as an act of genocide against members of the institution.

    Some aggrieved indigenes of Ile-Ife, who claimed ownership of some portions of the university land, had on April 3 invaded the university and allegedly poisoned the institution’s dam with a chemical.

    Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, the university’s Public Relation Officer, who conducted journalists round the disputed land and the dam within the school’s premises, on Wednesday said the poisoning of the dam was genocidal.

    Olanrewaju said the chemical used in poisoning the dam, which was the only source of water for the university, killed all the aquatic animals in it.

    He, however, said that the dam had been treated and was now safe to drink.

    “The act is condemnable and wicked. How can some group of people poison the only source of dam where the over 36,000-strong university population was drinking from?

    “The act is genocidal and wicked. They came through the Parakin area of the town to poison the dam but God was so good to us that immediately the dam was poisoned, rain fell for two days which washed the poisonous chemical away.

    “We have treated the water and laboratory test had been done on it and now it is very safe to drink,” Olanrewaju said.

    Olanrewaju also said the disputed land belongs to the Federal Government, adding that the university was not ready to concede it to anybody.

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    According to him, the land which is about 162 hectares was given to the university in the 60s by the then Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi.

    He said the land grabbers had started selling some portions of land to the people while construction workers working on the proposed OAU International Secondary school on the land were chased away with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons by the hoodlums.

    Olanrewaju said three blocks of hostels built for students on the said land were abandoned due to attacks by the hoodlums.

    “For the safety of our children in the university, the vice-chancellor instructed us not to allocate any of 360 rooms newly built hostel to them.

    ” The vice-chancellor has also instructed our security men not to retaliate but it is not possible for anyone to invade Federal Government land for personal gain because the land is gazetted.

    “We have informed the police and other security agencies and we believe they will act accordingly.

    “We have also informed the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Ife Development Board,”Olanrewaju said.

    He, however, said that anyone who was ready to use any portion of the land for the generality of the people and not for personal gain could approach the university for consideration.

  • Exams at OAU despite ASUU strike

    Despite the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, the second semester examination for the 2017/2018 session has begun at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State. Students are complaining of being tested on courses they were hardly taught. The school, backed by the rival Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), are insisting on the exams, reports FAROMBI OLUWASEUN.

    The Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, is conducting examinations for its students despite the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

    The university commenced the second semester examination for the 2017/2018 session began on Monday – 71 days after the ASUU strike  started.

    However, some departments at OAU are carrying on with academic activities because their lecturers have renounced ASUU membership.

    A parallel union, the Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), was born in OAU last March after lecturers broke away from ASUU following some disagreements.  They claim the industrial action is not binding on them.

    While lecturers loyal to ASUU have not been working, their CONUA counterparts have been attending classes.  This has caused confusion among students who are now sitting for examinations in courses for which they were not well prepared.

    A 400-Level Law student, who pleaded anonymity, said since the beginning of the semester, they only had an introductory class for a maritime law course he offered as most of his lecturers belonged to ASUU. He said students did not even have an outline for the course.

    “I was shocked when the examination date for the course was fixed, which was released less than 48-hours to the exam day,” he said.

    Another student, Dauda Nahimot, studying Botany, lamented that there was not enough time to study before the examinations were fixed, despite not having regular classes.

    She said: “We should be given at least two weeks extension to cover up what we missed.  Even two weeks won’t be enough; we cannot cover up for the practicals anymore. We missed more than five weeks of practicals which span three hours every week.”

    Another student, simply called Tayo, faulted the organisation of examinations despite regular classes noy taking place.

    “I am in my final year at Electrical and Electronics Department and we did not have the minimum of 12 weeks teaching and one compulsory lecture free week before we can proceed to examination as provided in the university regulations. The management should not in the name of stable calendar jeopardize the lives of students.

    “Some departments have fixed lectures for Saturday and Sunday. Yet, students are expected to be in the examination hall the next day,” he said.

    Chairman, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said the group was not on strike and would continue running the day-to-day activities in the school.

    “We cannot generally be part of what we are not privy to. We were not taken into consideration; we were not approached on the issue. So, we can’t be part of the strike. Our members still respect statutory duties,” he said.

    CONUA Secretary, Henri Oripeloye, added:  “We are bound by the university rules. So if the university says exams will hold, so shall it be.”

    Commenting on the allocation of some ASUU lecturers’ courses to CONUA lecturers, he said there was nothing wrong with it, so far it is the decision of the management.

     

    ASUU OAU: exams null and void

    ASUU on its part has declared the ongoing examination invalid.

    The union called the attention of both parents and students to the criteria for conducting examinations.

    In a statement signed by its chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, and the general secretary, Kayode Atilade, the union faulted the decision of the school management to coerce students to sit for examination in courses where the required minimum of 75 per cent attendance as stipulated in the school regulations had not been reached.

    The release further stated that the school was operating against the university regulations by organising examination after barely five weeks of lectures instead of 12 followed by a lecture-free week, and two weeks for examinations, making a total of 15 weeks for the semester.

    “The current rain semester of 2017/2018 session commenced 2nd October 2018 while ASUU strike commenced on the 4th of November.

    “Consequently the semester was barely five weeks at the time lectures stopped, with the implication that courses have not been fully taught,” ASUU said.

    The union described as illegal, the reallocation of courses by the management to lecturers with low expertise, stating that courses were allocated based on lecturers’ areas of specialization and experience.

    The union said the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, as well as the Deans and Head of departments should be accountable for the implications of this action.

     

    OAU Students’ Union Action Committee Petitions NUC

    The Action Committee of OAU Students’ Union has petitioned the National Universities Commission (NUC) as regards the conduct of examinations, which has been kicked against by some students.

    The Action Committee was set up after the suspension of the students’ union activities and its executives in 2017.

    The petition, released by the committee and signed by the pro-tem chairman, Gbenga Oloniniran Von, said: “We wish to clearly state that upon resumption of the 2017/18 Rain semester in the university on the 2nd of October, lectures barely began at various faculties and departments until the third week of resumption.

    “Since the commencement of lectures in the semester, by the virtue of the ongoing nationwide industrial action of the Academic staff union of universities, ASUU, certain courses in various departments, particularly in the departments of Botany, Zoology, English, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Agriculture, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geography, Arts and Social Sciences Education, Facility of Administration (Departments of International Relations, Public Administration, Local Government Studies), just to mention a few, have not held a single class till this moment for some of their courses.

    “It became a shock to students upon realization that these same courses which lectures have not held, have equally been included in the examination timetable.

    “This development is out rightly contrary to the university regulation guiding the conduct of examinations and the qualifications of students to sit for it. According to the regulation of Obafemi Awolowo University, a semester requires about 12 weeks of lectures and a lecture free week before examinations.

    “Contrary to this, in this semester, some lectures have barely held for more than five weeks. Seventy five percent of students attendance is also required before students are qualified to sit for examinations, this has not been the case for this semester.”

    NUC was also briefed on how the lecture-free week has also been filled with classes and the steps that have been taken to communicate the danger of the decision to the management.

    The committee also made recommendations to the NUC as regards this issue and the educational sector.

    “In lieu of this, we use this medium to call the attention of the National Universities Commission, as a responsible body and arm of the government, to immediately probe this academic irregularity that is ongoing in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife before situations get out of hand.

    “We wish to also use this means to state that the NUC should not just stop at conducting accreditations exercise in universities, but should always table the reports with adequate recommendations to the responsible quarters of the government for swift intervention to save public education from emptiness and total ruin that is fast encroaching them.”

     

    OAU insists on exams

    Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation university Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the management is undaunted by the threats of the lecturers and that the examination would hold as scheduled.

    “Some lecturers from the CONUA have been working while some of the ASUU counterparts have refused to attend classes. It is not possible for us to boycott exams because some lecturers have decided not to go to class,” Olarewaju said.

    Speaking on ‘illegal’ reallocation of some courses to other lecturers who have no expertise in them as alleged by ASUU, Olarewaju said that the ASUU lecturers had decided to withdraw their services and the management sought for alternatives.

    Giving an analogy of a driver that has refused to drive a car, he said; “the fact that one is not driving a car does not stop others from driving it. Let them see if the car will not move.”

    Olarewaju, who described the ASUU members as ‘being threatened’ also condemned the instruction of boycotting examination given, saying the union is not authorised to declare such in the university.

    Also, in a statement, the university Public relations officer said the university was behind in the academic calendar and yet to complete the 2017/2018 academic session when some others had started the 2018/2019 academic session.

    He said: “A rebranded OAU that will no longer graduate students with many extra years, who have never failed any course but simply suffered the misfortune of incessant strikes.

    “OAU is running a Senate approved calendar and this cannot be jettisoned based on the whims and caprices of a very insignificant number of academic staff.

    “As of today in 2019, OAU is still in the 2017/2018 academic session and yet to commence the 2018/2019 session not to talk of the 2019/2020 session which should be the ideal.

    “Our esteemed parents, guardians and other stakeholders should please note that it is no longer the intention of OAU to cancel academic sessions as had been in the practice in the past.

    “The University authorities will like to implore ASUU to join this progressive movement and think of a proper and better way of resolving differences other than truncating the academic progress and future career of hardworking students.”

    Also, the university management through the Dean Of Students Affairs, Prof Aransi reminded the students that the rules and regulations guiding examinations remained sacrosanct.

    “The University regulation stipulates that failure to sit for any examination in any course for which a student has registered for attracts a score of OF (Zero-/F).”

    Prof. Isiaka Aransi further assured students that adequate measures had been put in place by the university management to ensure a peaceful conduct of the Examination.

  • OAU flays ASUU, schedules exams

    Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have been re-assured that nothing would disrupt the 2017/2018 Rain Semester Examinations as the University Management have put machinery in motion to make it hitch-free.

    In a statement, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, noted that the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not effective in the institution contrary to the union’s claims.

    He said: “The general public is quite aware that the 43rd Convocation Ceremony for the 2015/2016 and 2016/3017 graduating sets of the University was successfully held from Tuesday, 11th to Friday, 14th December, 2018.  Even statutory meetings of the University such as senate, Administrative Staff Committee meetings, Appointments and Promotions Committee (A&PC) meetings, Development Committee meetings, Junior Staff Committee meetings and the Procurement Committee meetings all held as scheduled.

    “In addition to all these, the University played host to several national and international conferences including a very unique one on the Application of Information and Communications Technology to Teaching, Research and Administration held from November 11-14, 2018.  The faculties of Clinical Sciences, Environmental Design and Management and Social Sciences successfully had their annual conferences and Faculty weeks.  During the period the nationwide strike commenced and now, there has been a flurry of academic, research and social activities, unprecedented in the history of our university.”

    Olarewaju noted that no fewer than 20 of the 1,300 lecturers in the institution’s employ were not teaching, adding that their courses had been reassigned.

  • OAU sex-for-mark lecturer sentenced to six years

    The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Monday sentenced the former senior lecturer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Richard Akindele, to six years for demanding sex to pass her student, Miss Monica Osagie.

    The presiding judge, Justice Maurine Onyetenu, passed the judgement after the former lecturer had changed his earlier plea from “not guilty” to “guilty” in anticipation that he could be pardoned.

    Akindele on a four count charge was sentenced to 24 months on count one, 24 months on count two, one year on count three and another one year on count four.

    However, the judge, who ruled that the jail term should run concurrently, also ordered that the Samsung X4 of the victim should be returned to her and the Samsung X8 of the defendant should be forfeited to the Federal Government.

    After the judgement, the defence counsel, Francis Omotoso, pleaded with the court to suspend the sentence and negotiated for a plea bargain but Justice Onyetenu declined, saying “the rampant cases of students harassment by lecturers should be stopped.”

    The judge, who affirmed that plea bargain is not absolute, said it was at the discretion of the court.

    She said: “This kind of issue is too rampant in our tertiary institutions. We send children to school, they come home telling us that lecturers want to sleep with them. We can not continue like this. Somebody has to be used as a scale goat. Even primary schools pupils are complaining.

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    “Telling me to suspend sentence does not arise. Plea bargain does not arise. May be the case continue to occur and reoccur because someone has not been used as example. It is time for the court to start upholding the right of the children, especially female students. The case is endemic.”

    The defence counsel further informed the court that Akindele had lost his job and learnt his lesson, adding that the university had also discovered an error in the victim’s examination paper’s marking and had concluded plans to compensate her.

    The counsel further told the court that the OAU management is planing to make offices of the lecturers open by building the front side with glasses to discourage immorality.

    But the judge turned prayer of the counsel down and simply said, “do you think they do it in the office? They go to hotel.”

    Counsel to the Independent Corrupt Paractices and Other Offenses (ICPC), Mr. Shogunle Adenekan, earlier urged the court to confiscate the mobile phone of the defendant and make him forfeit it to the federal government.

    He told the court that sensitive materials were discovered in the cell phone during forensic investigation but advised that the mobile phone of the victim be released to her.

  • Fear of exams grips OAU students

    Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife have expressed fears over the exams date for the rain semester of the 2017/2018 academic session.

    They told our correspondent the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike will impact negatively on the examinations slated for January 14, 2019.

    In separate interviews, they appealed to the institution’s authorities to postpone the exams to give enable the lecturers prepare them for the exams.

    The students complained the strike has not enabled lecturers to cover many grounds or allowed them to prepare well.

    An OAU student Ilara John said: “For over 5weeks that the strike has been commenced, I have never had any lectures.

    “All our lecturers are part of ASUU and they have not been coming to classes at all.

    “I am afraid as I don’t even know maybe we would do exam or not because I don’t even understand the materials given to us before the commencement of the strike.

    “I have just been staying in my hostel, without going for any classes.”

    Another student Ayanfe Temiloluwa said: “This ASUU Strike has caused a lot of harm.  I have just been sitting at home not going for any classes.

    “I am almost forgetting everything we have been taught.  How are we going to do exams for the classes we have not been going?

    “How does the school wants us to pass when we don’t have anybody teaching us?”

    “I implore that the school management should do something about this and that the Federal Government should heed to the call of Academics Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and give them what they demand so that we can have better educational system.”

    Adejare Oluwatobiloba said: ” The ASUU strike here has not been that effective due to non- compliance of some lecturers.

    “Nevertheless, students have been thrown in a state of dilemma as to whether the rain semester academic calendar will be extended”

    “Academic activities in some departments especially some science related course have been on hold right from the beginning of the strike while in other departments, the strike has been partial.

    “The truth is that students have been at the receiving end of strike. The management should therefore consider us students by extending the school calendar.”

    OAU vice chancellor however maintained the exams will hold as scheduled on Jan, 14 2019, insisting the academic calendar will not be extended.

    He said: “We have had several senate meetings and it has been going on well.

    “We have ordered our lecturers who want the progress of the academic calendar to take up the courses been taken by the ASUU members.

    “There is nothing like shifting the academic calendar. They are rumours.”

     

     

  • OAU to graduate 13,402 students

    The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in Osun State, will graduate 13,402 at a combined 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 convocation on December 14.

    Addressing reporters on campus yesterday, the Chairman of the University Ceremonials Committee Prof. Oluseye Bolaji said 182 students made First Class while 2,925 others made Second Class Upper division.

    The chairman said 4,146 others made Second Class Lower division; 1,088 bagged Third Class; 60 graduated with ordinary Pass degrees and 790 were unclassified.

    According to him, 326 graduating students will get postgraduate diplomas; 1,701 others will get professional Masters; 1,629 will have Masters by Research; 145 will get Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) and 410 others will be conferred with Doctors of Philosophy (PhD).

    He said a retired Professor of History and Second Republic senator, Banjo Akintoye, would deliver the 43rd convocation lecture, titled: University Education in Nigeria: Revisiting the Ife Dream.

    Bolaji said: “…The honorary graduand this year is a distinguished Nigerian academic and radical, intellectual activist, Biodun Jeyifo, a  Professor Emeritus in the English Department at Cornell University, Ithaca, the United States of America (U.S.A) and, currently, a Professor of Comparative Literature/African and American Studies at Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A. He will receive degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) Honoris Causa for his outstanding intellectual and academic achievements.”

  • OAU, ASUU disagree over students stay on campus

    The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have issued conflicting statements on the continued stay of the students on the campus following the nationwide strike by the lecturers.

    The ASUU branch chairman, Mr Adeola Egbedokun, after a meeting on Tuesday asked students to vacate the campus and declared the chapter’s solidarity with the national body.

    “We love our students and they should go home because we don’t want them to be victims of whatever action that will accompany the strike,” Mr Egbedokun said in a statement.

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    The Registrar of the OAU, Margaret Omosule in a circular released on Tuesday however asked students not to join the industrial strike action.

    According to Omosule, there are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end of year holidays.

    “We wish to assure all students that the University Academic Calendar for the 2017/2018 Academic Session is very much on course.

    “There are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end of year holidays and all members of the University community must be unanimous in the resolution to ensure that the Calendar remains sacrosanct,” she added.

  • ASUU: OAU students confused as lecturers split on strike

    Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife have been thrown into confusion following conflicting directives on the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) .

    The Branch Chairman of the union, Adeola Egbedokun, in an interview reiterated the stance of the national body that the strike is total.

    “The strike is total. No teaching, no exam, no statutory functions. We are not doing anything except observation of the National Body.

    “We hereby tell our students that we love them and we don’t want to lose any of them at the cause of anything that may happen during the industrial action”

    However, lecturers of same university under the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academic (CONUA) have vowed to continue the running of day to day activities in the school.

    “We can’t generally be part of what we are not privy to. We were not taken into consideration; we were approached on the issue. So, we can’t be part of the strike. Our members still respect statutory duties”, said Niyi Sunmonu, the chairman of CONUA.

    The national strike was declared on Sunday by ASUU national president, Biodun Ogunyemi after the National Executive Council meeting at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State.

    All academic staff of universities were directed to withdraw their services immediately.

    He disclosed that the strike became necessary due to failure