OAU: EXAMS FAST APPROACHING, STUDENTS COMPLAIN BLACK OUT IN READING PLACES.

Thursday, 11th January, 2018.
By Olufemi Alfred .O.

      Recently, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, ile-ife, announced the commencement of her Rain semester examination on the 29th of January while the students are currently writing tests. However, OAU KILONSHELE  confirmed that the school's library, Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, has been on lock. Also, there has been power outage in academic areas, comprising of lecture theatres, where students read.

    With a view to gathering students' opinions, Dosunmu Ayodeji, a part three student told our correspondent in an interview, that it is disheartening that students were asked to resume rigour filled weeks in darkness.

"We should have stayed back if there isn't full agreement between the school management and the Non Teaching staff."

   Dosunmu furthered by highlighting the financial implications on students as photocopying is being done at high rates because there is no light in the academic area.

"It's not also unimaginable that students are left in an over populated class, in this harsh weather ; and no source of mechanical breeze to cool the heat. Then we expect learning to take place?" he asked rhetorically.

    Another student, Adeoba Oluwafemi from the College health sciences, condemned the silence of the school management on the salient issue of power outage in academic areas and even in one of the female halls of residence, Moremi hostel.

  He stated that asides the jam-packed state of the hall cafés because they are limited in comparison to the multitude of students on campus, academic areas have turned to the den of criminals. "Some students are using the loss of power supply in those areas to perpetrate evil ranging from sexual harassment, assault and theft."

" I hope the management can resolve the problem very soon before the situation gets out of hands." Adeoba concluded.

      Also, Fowowe Deborah and Sage Oluwaseun, students of English and Philosophy departments respectively, expressed that since there is light in halls of residence, they are okay. Oluwaseun added that students should go and get lamps and torches.

     Moreover, Dunnex Samuel, the coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and a student of the school, lamented that the school management, in their conspiracy, has subjected students to untold hardships. He buttressed that mass failure and insecurities will be inevitable effects of the seizure of light.
   
"It is either the management is prepared for academic activities or not, a man cannot manage death." Dunnex asserted.
     

   Meanwhile, speaking with Professor Isiaq Aransi, the Dean of the Division of students Affairs in the university, he sympathised with students but he emphasised the incapacitation of the school authority in getting power restored to those places.

   "There is nothing we can do. Students have to manage and bear with us."

    Aransi made known the efforts of the school to restore power in all halls of residence. He furthered that the futility recorded in restoring light to other places has been because of the refusal of the protesting Non-academic staff unions members to get back to work.

   "We had to reach a concession before they allowed us to have the halls of residence illuminated. Students should read their books anyhow they can." he advised

 

   The protest of the The non-academic staff unions; The  Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non Academic Staff Union, NASU,  and National Association Academic Technologists, NAAT is as a result of the 11% alloted to the three unions out of the Earned allowance disbursed last year by the Federal Government as against the 89% allocated to the Academic Staff Union of universities (ASUU).