Again, OAU Chases Students Out Of Hostels

By Sodiq Lawal

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU) has again began the process of chasing out students from its hostels in a bid to renovate the buildings.

In a statement release on Tuesday signed by the Dean Student Affairs of the University, Prof. I.O Aransi, urged all students to vacate halls of residence on or before 6:00pm of Tuesday, 18th September, 2018 for the management to continue the renovation and repairs of the halls of residence.

Aransi said only the medical students whose semester is ongoing and foreign students are exempted from the directive.

He added that students are expected to come into residence on Sunday, 30th September, 2018 when the rain semester of the 2017/2018 academic session will commence.

Meanwhile, it will be recalled that the management had on March 21st, 2018 forced out students from its hostels in a bid to renovate the buildings.

It was  learnt that officials of the schools began to ‘throw’ the luggage of students out of the halls of residence after a short notice was issued 24 hours earlier. The officials also sealed the doors of the rooms afterwards.

A confrontation was said to have  erupted at the Moremi hall, a female hostel,  where some students including student activists and journalists were reportedly manhandled.

Gbenga Oloniran, the secretary of the Anti Neo-liberal attacks against Students Association (ANSA), and a female student were reportedly ‘arrested’ by the security unit of the university.
The school vacated February 17 but students writing their final year projects and those undergoing their SIWES and Teaching Practice (TP) programmes are still on campus.
Ayodeji Fridaus, who witnessed the forceful eviction at Moremi hall, told PREMIUM TIMES that the officers were not ”considerate enough as they threw students loads from the topmost floor”.

“Some of us are on campus because of SIWES. Where do they want us to go?” she said.

Also, an occupant of Moremi hall, Miss Akinremi, a final year student, complained that she is yet to finish her final year project. She said her property including her mattress were flung out by rampaging officials.