​There is an imminent mass failure at the Osun State University, a multi-campus state-owned institution, as students of the university were made to write examinations amid panic and tension.

This followed a second semester examinations in the school scheduled to commence on August 14, which coincidentally was some days after Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU) declared an indefinite strike across the country.

The management of the ivory tower, led by the Vice-chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola, therefore, resolved to go ahead with the examinations despite irrecoverable stance of the academic staff in the university to comply with the directive for full action .

We gathered from reliable sources that Popoola, a professor of Forest Economics devised a means in which the examinations would be conducted without members of ASUU, by securing the services of Non-academic staff, including security personnel.

Our Reporter exclusively obtained a protest letter by ASUU, dated August 22, with a subject”Re-Request For Full Compliance with Strike Action, where it expressed it’s disappointment over the development, and reiterated the earlier stance it has taken to comply with the strike order without compromise.

The letter, which was signed by the trio of the Chairman, ASUU, UNIOSUN chapter, Dr Abiona Oluseye, the Secretary, Dr Wande Olaosebikan and the Coordinator, ASUU Ibadan zone, Dr Ade Adejumo reads”ASUU-UNIOSUN via a letter dated 18th August, 2017 communicated to the Provosts, Deans, Directors, and Heads of Departments, the observation of their non-compliance with the strike action on the 12th August, 2017.

“The strike action was to be total, comprehensive, and indefinite, which among other things include non-participation of its members in the conduct of the ongoing 2016/2017 Rain Semester examinations.

“Recall also that members of this union in UNIOSUN overwhelmingly voted in support of the strike action via a referendum conducted on Thursday, 10th August, 2017.

“It was observed that some unconventional personnel (Technologists and Security Officers) were used in the conduct of the said examinations in some of the University’s campuses.

“This situation is unacceptable to our union and we make bold to say that examination answer booklets that emanated from such an exercise shall not be assessed by our members when the opportunity to that presents itself.

“Sir, we also wish to remind you that while efforts are ongoing at resolving issues raised by the union, academic staff members in UNIOSUN are still resolute in their resolve to have total compliance to the strike declared by the union”.

The union, thereafter followed up it’s stance with action, by invading examination halls to chase away students and destroying examination materials.

The incessant invasion of examination halls by members of ASUU invariably created panic and tension among students, and many of them faulted the back-door approach of the management in conducting examinations through boycott.

While the whole Faculty of Agriculture at Ejigbo boycotted MTH 102 examination on August 24, Physiology students at the main campus of the university in Osogbo followed suit, and even went further to confront the Vice-chancellor to know their fate.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Jibola Oyekunle in his reaction denied that students in the school were made to write their exams under tension and panic, but admitted that they were being chased out of examinations halls constantly by members of ASUU.

Oyekunle said it is not correct to say that the university management was forcing students to write examinations under duress, rather it is the students that “are eager to complete their studies.”

According to him, the situation on the campus is not as bad as it has been painted, alleging that some of the students who have not been well prepared for the examinations were those spearheading the boycott.

He added that academic staff in the university are not “cooperating with the management to put things in the right order”.

“To the best of my knowledge, students are not writing examinations under duress, it is the students that are eager to complete their studies.

“The university management has been making frantic efforts to make ASUU see the pertinent reason why they have to cooperate and make the university to have successful completion of this session to no avail.

” I can confirm to you that there is tussle between the management and ASUU.

“You will agree with me that no serious management will close down the school because ASUU is on strike, ” Oyekunle averred.

We further gathered that a circular from the office of the Vice-chancellor on Friday informed the university community of a new date for the aborted examinations, which have been re-scheduled to hold between Saturday, August 26 and Thursday, August 31.

http://fabinfos.com/ASUU-strike-mass-failure-looms-uniosun-students-write-examination-amid-tension/

Lalasticlala Ishilove Mynd44 Seun Dominique