OAU declares resumption after two months strike

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo Awolowo University, Ile-Ife have asked students of the institution to resume next Wednesday.

The Public Relations Officer of the OAU, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, confirmed this in a press statement on Thursday.

The resumption announcement came barely two months to the paralysis of activities on the university campus by members of Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.

According to the statement, new students are expected to resume next Wednesday, while ‎next Sunday was approved for the stalites resumption.

The statement read in part, “The Senate of the OAU has approved Wednesday, August 3, for the resumption of continuation of screening exercise for the new Students while the Stalites will come into residence on Sunday, August 7.

“The Senate gave the go-ahead to reopen the Institution during a special meeting it held to consider a proposed amendment to this session’s academic calendar.”

The statement added that the Acting Vice –   Chancellor, Professor Anthony Elujoba, chaired the meeting for the first time after his appointment last Thursday.

Elujoba assured that his administration would ensure that proper measures were put in place to prevent similar closure.

The statement added, “While assuring that he would fearlessly attempt all the changes that will glorify the ‘life’ of the Institution in fearness, truth and justice. The acting VC discloses that he has plans to seek, and to gather the main lessons derivable from the unfortunate episode that brought the University to where it is today and make recommendations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.‎”

Recall that authorities of the OAU had shut down the institution over continuous protests and ‘civil disobedience’ by its workers on alleged illegalities during the process of appointing a VC for the institution.

On their part,  members of the Great Ife Alumni Association lauded the Federal Government on its quick resolution of the crisis that rocked the OAU.

National President of the Association, Mr. Segun Oke, thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for asking the University Senate to choose a man of integrity among them for appointment as the acting Vice Chancellor.

This, he said, brought peace to the OAU, adding that,  the Alumni believed that normalcy would be restored, as all academic, administrative, technical, teaching and research activities are expected to start in earnest.

He congratulated the acting VC and called on all other stakeholders to rally round  Elujoba to take the OAU to a much greater height.