The fast declining reputation of the Obafemi Awolowo University has left me pondering for hours, days or maybe weeks if this once great university is still the “Oba Awon Universities”.
OAU no more “Oba Awon Universities”? by Daniel A. Moses ( @oluwadaniemoses )
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The self-acclaimed “Oba Awon Universities” (King of universities) is fast losing its credibility for which it was acclaimed king. OAU, which is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s finest universities in terms of academic prowess and otherwise is now beginning to ridicule itself amongst others through its very irrational actions. No thanks to both the school management and its students.
In the late hours of December 1st 2015, the governing council shut down the school indefinitely and still went ahead to suspend the Students Union Government (SUG). So shameful of the school management, I must say. This development only came after students boycotted lectures demanding better welfare conditions, fumigation of the halls of residence which have been conquered by bedbugs, rats amongst other demands.
Instead of the management to look into these demands, all they could think of was to shut down the school and mute the student’s mouthpiece.
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What is the justification of collecting large school and Hostel fees from students if they cannot be provided with basic amenities like good power supply, clean water, neat environment and habitable halls of residence. I really do think the school management should start acting like fathers and mothers that they are to their students and NOT display a Master-Slave relationship with them.
The fast declining reputation of the Obafemi Awolowo University has left me pondering for hours, days or maybe weeks if this once great university is still the “Oba Awon Universities”.
Now, on the part of the Students Union Government, I want to vent my disappointment at the way matters are being handled by its leadership. In my little sojourn on planet earth, I have come to discover what is called a “dialogue” and I think the union officials should have discovered that too.
You don’t always resort to violent protests to make a certain body meet your demands. There are more civil ways of doing this. Also, if we are conscientious in observing this scenario, we would discover that most of the strike actions that occur in OAU are majorly products of these violent protests by students. So what is the gain?
Now to fellow students, even if you are supposed to be living in luxury given the large amount of hostel fees you pay, the reality is you are NOT living in one. There are certain things you can organise yourselves or contribute money to carryout to make your environment a more habitable one. This is why we are higher animals.
Should we keep watching until the great ife is diminished enough to be called “Omode Awon Universities” (Child of Universities)? I guess not.
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