OAU SUSPENDED STUDENTS THREATEN TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE VARSITY.

   
      In lieu of a peaceful protest against the 6 days of power outage staged by some students of Obafemi Awolowo University on Friday, 6th of October, some of the students have been served an indefinite suspension letter.

      On the day of the protest, 10 of the Students, who partook in the action were arrested by the police force in conjunction with the varsity security unit. Some of the Students arrested were, Gbenga Oloniran- a student of the department of Geography, Jacob Grace- the suspended Vice president of the Students Union, Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa - a part 3 student of the faculty of law and seven others.

     The arrested students were later released after few hours of detention  owing to the mobilization of students to More police station.

     However, between October 11 and 12, Oluwalade Babatunde, a part 3 student of the department of English; Omole Ibukun a final year of the of the department of Civil engineering and John Udeh, English department, part 2 were handed a suspension letter, dated 6th of October. According to the provisions of the letter from the Vice- Chancellor through the office of the Registrar, the letter titled 'Suspension from the university over criminal activities pending  police investigation of your criminal activities' stated that the suspension was as a result of their disruption of school activities, vandalization of a commercial bus and the forceful release of the students who were being interrogated at More police station.

    Babatunde, The Chairman of the Transportation Committee (TMC) of the students Union stated to our correspondent saying;

      "Due to the congressional resolution of the Students that there should be a lecture boycott and a peaceful on that Friday against the power supply, I as the Chairman for TMC told the bus drivers about the communique received and that they should not come to campus to avoid any problem. On the day of the protest, I was with my HOD and not along with those who protested and I'm surprised to discover that I've been suspended. Though my online portal has been blocked all these while and I've been on the complaints to the computer until this letter came in. I was part of those who went to the police station to clamour for the release of the Students, the bus drivers who we went together followed us after I've sensitized them about the arrest and no bus was vandalized " he said.

      According to Omole, who expressed his surprise on receiving said;

      " As a matter of fact, I just arrived on campus. I was in Osogbo during the protest and I was surprised to receive the suspension letter. This is the second time I'll be suspended by the management. The first time, I didn't involve the legal institution but now, I'll have to take legal actions because they can't continue wasting my time."

      Meanwhile, in a public release made by Oyekan Ibukun, the Students' Union President of the institution, he condemned the act of suspension and tagged it 'an act of oppression on the students'.

      However, speaking with Dr. Oladotun Awoyemi, he made it known that the issue of disciplinary actions is not a function of his office.

      "My office is to issue letters and not concerned with the disciplinary measures taken." he said.

      He furthered when asked whether more people are to receive the letters apart from the three issued or not, saying;
      "If three have received theirs and you are expecting more because there are more people who participated in the behaviour? For now, they are three. If there are more, others will receive their own."

       Babatunde explained to our correspondent that if he isn't reinstated, he will have to resort to the court of law for legal actions.
   

  Olufemi Alfred .O.
  Oau Kilonshele News outfit
Reporting...