OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' UNION

Being a Press Statement Issued by Obafemi Awolowo University Students' Union over the Suspension of Some Students of the University, among other issues

"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by bad people but the silence over that by the good people"-- Martins Luther King, Jr

The leadership of Obafemi Awolowo University Students' Union and the entire students of the University hereby use this medium to vehemently condemn the illegal and unjustifiable suspension of four undergraduate and two postgraduate students respectively of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife by the University Management.

It is no longer a news that victimisation has always been the barbaric tool in the hands of the University management to decimate the vibrancy of students activists on campus. It is even very appalling that the University management could brand students' peaceful protest and agitation against prevalent poor welfare conditions on campus on the 5th of October, 2017 as "criminal activities". Thus, we want to state categorically that students that are currently on suspension have never committed any criminal offenses as earlier posited by the University authorities. They merely exercised their right to freedom of peaceful demonstration as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) and any attempt to curtail such rights is null and void and of no consequence.

Therefore, it is important to state it clearly and unambiguously that our Union adjures the University management for failing to reasonably improve the general welfare conditions of students on campus which has always been the major reason for students' agitation on campus. Of course, ours is not to lament. Rather, we have summoned every tool of diplomacy and apparatus of intellectualism to ensure that our members are immediately and unconditionally reinstated by the University authorities to avoid a severe confrontation from our Union; as it is commonly said that those who made peaceful revolution impossible will make violent resolution inevitable.

We use this medium to debunk lies and subterfuges that have been made against our members. It must be clearly asserted at this point in time that students only embarked on a peaceful protest and what followed was their indefinite suspension from the University. We cannot allow this injustice to stand as injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

On the foregoing, the Union hereby present our demands which go as follow:

1. We demand immediate and unconditional reinstatement of both undergraduate and postgraduate students that were suspended by the Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

2. We demand an end to era of victimization of students activists on campus on account of expression of their grievances and dissatisfaction over the current state of Obafemi Awolowo University campus

3. We demand the University Management to call the leadership of Postgraduate Hall as well as Great Ife Students' Union to a round table discussion which must lead to quick, immediate and unconditional reinstatement of students on suspension among other issues.

4. We demand the University Management to be more committed to facilitating a holistic improvement in the general welfare conditions of students on campus by ensuring stable supply of water and electricity on campus, standardisation of our laboratories and equipment of the University library with updated books, as well as renovation of existing halls of residence and construction of new ones to decongest the population of students living off campus which is characterized with a very poor security network

5. We charge the Federal Government of Nigeria to be more committed to funding the education sector by approving 26℅ of the total annual budgetary allocation to the sector to raise the general standard of education in the country which will in turn increase productivity, innovation and creativity, development, etc.

6. The Federal Government of Nigeria is also charged to be sincere with their fight against corruption by ensuring that no corrupt politician has a place in this current administration

7. Finally, we demand the Federal Government to gear up their efforts in combating the plagues of poverty, terrorism, diseases (monkey pox) and youth employment in the country.

At this point in time, it should reiterated that Great Ife Students' Union will resist any form of oppressive and draconic tendency of, be it the management of Obafemi Awolowo University or the Federal Government of Nigeria that may want to silence us in raising our voices against deteriorated and degenerated state of our living and learning conditions on OAU campus.

Amandla Awethu!
Nothing Shall Discourage Us!!

Signed:
Okediji Simon
Public Relations Officer, OAU Students' Union

Boluwajaiye Adeoluwa
Secretary General, OAU Students' Union

Oyekan Ibukun Edward
President, OAU Students' Union