- As OAU Management Bars Media Coverage
Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Monday, declared a protest over the prolonged non-issuance of identity cards to them, vowing that no student will sit for examinations without proper identification.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the protest, which has gained momentum across faculties, stems from what student leaders described as the administration’s repeated negligence and empty assurances.
The union, in a statement released on Saturday, berated the university management for failing to deliver student ID cards nearly a full academic session after fees had been paid.
However, in a move that has sparked even more outrage, the university’s management has reportedly barred journalists from covering the unfolding situation on campus.
A campus correspondent with OSUN DEFENDER, who is monitoring the situation, confirmed that media professionals were denied access to coverage of the protest on Monday morning.
In Saturday’s statement, union leaders—including President Omoboriowo Damilola, Secretary General Babatimehin Kínfẹ́ọsi, and Public Relations Officer Aka Daniel — described the university’s handling of the ID card delay as “incompetent and unacceptable.”
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“We are tired of delays, excuses, and promises that lead nowhere,” the statement read. “This is not a threat. It is a legitimate demand. No ID card, no examination.”
The students also lament that the absence of identity cards has exposed them to undue hardship, including police harassment, denial of scholarships, job opportunities, and NYSC mobilisation challenges for final-year students.
The Union insists that the ID cards, already paid for, are not a privilege but a right.
Reacting to the unrest, the university’s Division of Student Affairs released a circular on Monday, attributing the delay to logistics involving the incorporation of smart features in the new ID cards.
The Dean, Prof J.A. Odedire, assured students that the first batch of ID cards would be ready for distribution by Wednesday, 28th May.
The release followed a meeting between university officials and the leadership of the Great Ife Students’ Union held on Thursday, 22nd May, where the agitation was brought to the fore.
“The University authority is giving priority attention to ensuring that the first batch of the I.D. card is delivered latest by Wednesday (28/05/2025),” Prof. Odedire stated.
However, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), in a separate communiqué issued on Sunday, reaffirmed the Union’s protest stance.
During its emergency parliamentary sitting, motions were moved for mass sensitisation, campus mobilisation, and suspension of academic activities until the ID cards are delivered.
“No classes tomorrow,” read one of the resolutions. “Any member of the SRC not present shall have their seat declared vacant.”
Okikiola Adewale is a young and vibrant undergraduate pen pusher with training in both print and digital journalism. He has a flair for writing, content development and people-oriented reporting to seek societal change.
