Students seek OAU’s re-opening

SOME students  of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, have called on the Federal Government to resolve the crisis over the appointment of  a new Vice-Chancellor (VC) for the institution. They also called for the re-opening of the school.

The students berated Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) for what they called “selfish agenda”, saying appointment of a new VC should not an affair that should result in the disruption of academic activities. They said the activities of the unions were responsible for the indefinite closure of the school.

In a statement signed on the students’ behalf by Quadri Bello, the students enjoined the government  to ensure the school is re-opened while solution is being proffered to the crisis.

The statement reads: “We are tired of staying at home because some unions cannot resolve their differences with the management amicably. Being at home for more than 80 days is no fun. Our demand is that President Muhammadu Buhari should do all within the law to ensure that we are back to school in the shortest possible time.

“We understand that the OAU Act says the he cannot appoint an Acting VC; that is the duty of the Governing Council. But, we believe the president can reconstitute a new Governing Council that will work with the new VC while the aggrieved parties wait for the verdict of the Osogbo High Court.”

It would be recalled that the management shut down the university indefinitely last month due to a protests by NASU and SSANU, which claimed that the process that produced the Prof Ayobami Salami as VC did not follow the law. The government, on June 30, dissolved the Governing Council of the university. There has been no further action taken since then.

The students said: “We call on eminent citizens of this country to appeal to the striking unions to go into dialogue with the management to solve their grievances. Their unpaid allowances can be discussed at a meeting. Their case is already in court; they should exercise patience as law-abiding workers in awaiting the court decision on their matter. They can challenge the process of the appointment of the VC without disrupting academic activities. All we want is the reopening of our school and we plead with eminent Nigerians to help achieve this.”