Students fight back against management's decision to shut down school

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, have shut down activities indefinitely following the students' protest regarding the terrible state of the school hostels.

The management reportedly directed the students to go on a mid-semester break.

According to reports by Premium Times, the school’s Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Abiodun did not give reasons for this break.

“The senate has met and has decided that all students should go home for a mid-semester break,” he said.

“All students are expected to vacate their hostels with immediate effect; parents are advised to order their students home.”

The university's student union government has, however, directed students not to obey the management and that they should refuse to take the break that was ordered.

It held that the mid-semester break was a ploy by management to achieve “something mischievous.”

“We will not go home, we will remain on campus and watch things happen, we are ready for showdown,” a spokesperson of the union said.

It was also reported that the students have, on countless occasions, complained about the poor state of hostels in the institution, a complaint which has, so far, been ignored by the school authorities.

The students resorted to protest which shut down academic activities since Friday.

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible makes violent revolution inevitable …JF Kennedy,” a statement by the SUG President, Omotayo Akande, read.

“History will be made again as we prepare our intellectual arsenal and Aluta weaponry and proceed to the barricades.

“The congress of Great Ife Students on Friday 27th November 2015 unanimously expressed their animosity to the obnoxious state of our welfare, dilapidated hostel and among other administrative misdemeanor.

“The union has exhausted the tool of diplomacy without getting reasonable concession on how our welfare condition will be improved. The management in their Machiavellian tactic immediately restore the light after the congress.

“Why wasn’t it restored when our students were subjected to perpetual darkness for days? We are not carried away with the euphoria of the temporary supply of light and water.

“Our demands are more than just light and water as the horrendous living condition of our hostels require rapt attention.”

Mr. Abiodun in his reaction explained that the federal government should be blamed for the dilapidated hostels and mentioned that students often misuse hostel facilities.

“In a situations where students misuse hostel facilities, it is beyond our control,” he said.