The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone D, has denounced the decision of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State by the Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede-led management, shut down the institution until further notice.
The association demanded that the school be re-opened for students to continue their examinations.
NANS threatened to call for the removal of the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, stating that its Zonal leadership will relocate its secretariat to the University campus gate until the VC reverses the decision.
The association called upon all students in the southwest to stand in solidarity with OAU students as they protest the management’s decision on Saturday.
NANS vowed to continue the protest until the decision id reversed or the VC is removed.
The latest development was disclosed in a press statement signed by the duo of Kowe Odunayo Amos, Coordinator, NANS Zone D and Giwa Yisa Temitope, Secretary-General, NANS Zone D.
The statement described the decision of the management as extremely infantile and primitive.
While describing the decision by the management to close down the institution as expected, NANS expressed disappointment at the institution’s management for doing it in response to students’ agitation over the death of Adesina Omowumi Aishat, a Part 4 student of the Department of Foreign Languages who died as a result of negligence by health workers at the University Health Centre.
According to the press statement, “As an association, we find it appalling that the University management could go to the extent of twisting the narrative by saying that she was adequately treated. Meanwhile, reverse was the case.
“It is on good record that the helpless student was abandoned and was certified brought-in-dead at Seventh Day Hospital, Mayfair for treatment where she gave up the ghost.
“But the management in their characteristic manner had to lie that she was promptly treated of severe infection (which they could not even name). The fact that the management could not name the ‘severe infection’ is a testament to the fact that they lied.
“As against the content of the 4th paragraph of the circular that was issued by the University management, there was no attempt by the University management “to call the students to order and allow normalcy to return to the campus and its environs.”
NANS also accused the OAU VC of refusing to heed all calls to come out and address the protesting students who were actually requesting for his presence at the protest ground.
It revealed that it was public knowledge that the students did not at any point in time during the cause of the protest engage in any form of ‘unbridled brigandage’ or of breaking any known law as put forward by the institution as a reason for their decision.
“At least, protest is an internationally recognised right and the students were still acting within the prism of their fundamental rights. Issues are very clear!”, It concluded.
Students of the institution demonstrated on Friday as a result of the death of Adesina Omowumi Aishat at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife on Thursday.
The protesting students had alleged that the death of Aishat was due to negligence on the part of the staff at the University Health Centre.
Meanwhile, the institution through the school PRO, Abiodun Olanrewaju had earlier stated its own side of the story.
