From starting the year with writing examinations to the beating of a student to death over alleged phone theft, hike in sundry fees for the new session after a long break, the EFCC raid in Oduduwa Estate, hosting the 2023 West Africa University Games, amongst other numerous activities, the year 2023 was an intriguing year on the Obafemi Awolowo University campus.
ACJOAU is highlighting some of the defining events on the Obafemi Awolowo University campus in 2023:
Starting The Year With Examinations
2023 started on a much serious note, with students writing examinations for the Harmattan semester of the 2021/2022 academic session following the 8-month ASUU strike which ended in October 2022. The examination commenced in the last week of December and by extension to January 2023 which made a lot of students have their 2023 crossover in the Ile-Ife community – a home away from home crossover.
During the festive period, majority of students were seen on campus reading in preparation for the examination and thus, were unable to travel to their various homes for the Christmas and New Year break.
Ahinze Okoli’s Death
Okoli Ahinze, a civil engineering final-year student was attacked on the 10th of April by a group of students who accused him of stealing a mobile phone.
The security committee of the Awo Hall of Residence stated in a release that Ahize “was caught by a group of people in Awolowo Hall of Residence for stealing a phone and also using the bank app on the phone to make transactions and it was also observed that he went as far as messaging the relatives of the legitimate owner of the phone to request for funds.”
The committee corroborated other sources’ claims, noting that mobs gathered and beat the student to a pulp. He was also making efforts to retaliate, the committee claimed.
The suspects accused of the murder of the deceased were later handed over to the police.
2023 Students’ Union Elections
The Great Ife 2023 Students’ Union Elections raised questions among students as aspirants for the office of the President garnered more attention due to the number of contestants. The 2021/2022 Vice President of the Union, Aworanti Salvation, the Public Relations Officer, Ogunperi Taofeek, the Financial Secretary, Abiola Joy, the Assistant Secretary-General, Abdulganiyu Ismail, Honourables representing the Faculty of Arts, Adebayo Joseph Omole, Faculty of Education, Olugbade Majeed, Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, Salawu Taiwo, Faculty of Social Sciences, Abidogun Ayomide, NAAS President, Ojo Abass and Mr Olu Peace, a student from the Faculty of Law declared intentions to vie for the office of the President of the Union, making a total number of ten candidates. However, Mr Olu Peace stepped down on the eve of the election and declared his support for Ojo Abass who eventually emerged as the winner.
Also, the SRC elections in the Faculties of Administration and Social Sciences were postponed as a result of missing names of some candidates on the ballot papers which led to disruption and consequently, postponement of elections in the named faculties.
However, a rerun was carried out in the affected faculties after the whole elections and winners were announced.
NEOLIFE
An uproar was caused on “X formerly known as Twitter” on the 21st of August by a user on the microblogging app who decided to share her experience with the FHG/NEOLIFE business. According to her, ‘@Thelateefat’ narrates her ordeals while she wanted to quit the FHG/NEOLIFE business.
Her rants on what she went through after deciding to finally leave the business caused a stir on the X app as various users began to share their own stories and points of view which eventually led to the business name ‘NEOLIFE’ trending in the NO 1 trend table of the microblogging app.
Consequently, ACJOAU reported that the business can take a step out of ‘SAPA’ or a step into ‘Shege’ depending on the kind of sponsors or team leaders who fail to understand the core values of the business which is to elevate poverty.
Dress Code Saga
As the anticipation for the resumption of the 2022/2023 academic session geared up, on Sunday 27th of August, a circular on dress code emanated from the popular X app claiming several sanctions for students who do not comply with the acceptable dress codes of the University.
According to the purported release, misconducts like backless clothes, transparent wear, and crop/jump tops amongst other misconducts attract rustication for a semester while coloured hairstyles, massaging or sitting on a lap by the opposite sex, and hair braiding for males amongst others attract rustication for two semesters.
This release generated mixed reactions, most especially displeasure from students and alumni of the University as well as the general public.
However, the university later debunked the trending circular on dress code, stating the trending circular was not from the management of the university.
Damico Robbery
In the early hours of Tuesday, 5th of September, armed robbers invaded two hostels in Damico Estate – one of the most popular student areas off-campus in Obafemi Awolowo University environs. The attacked hostels were Dominion Hostel and one other hostel opposite E and E canteen in the same area.
The hostel’s occupants who raised the alarm via their social media accounts caught the attention of the students who were still active at that time to call the security agencies so that they could intervene in the situation as the robbers were shooting repeatedly and threatening them.
Unfortunately, the armed robbers had already carried out their operations and left before the arrival of the security agencies to address the situation.
Although, no life was lost in the robbery incident, however, a student was shot during the robbery attack and taken to the hospital where he was medically attended to. Also, some belongings of the students especially gadgets such as phones, and laptops were carted away.
Hike in Sundry Fee
On September 13th, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, announced the adjustment of the fees that students would be paying for the 2022/2023 academic session. The release stated that students in the Arts based courses would be paying #151,200 (fresh) and #89,000 (returning), for sciences based courses #163,200 (fresh) and #101,200 (returning) and for health sciences and pharmacy #190,200 (fresh) and #128,200 (returning).
However, following a series of protests from the students and meetings between the Students’ Union and the university management, the fees were reduced to #131,000 (fresh) and #76,000 (returning), #141,000 (fresh) and #86,000 (returning) and #164,000 (fresh) and #109,000 (returning) for Arts, Sciences and Health Sciences based courses respectively.
Additionally, the accommodation levy was also increased from #2,590 to #25,000 and #3,090 to #30,000 for returning and fresh students respectively.
EFCC Raid
In the early hours of Wednesday, 1st of November, the officials of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) stormed Oduduwa Estate. They whisked away 69 students of the Obafemi Awolowo University to the commission’s office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, the Students’ Union mobilized and led students of the university to the office for the release of the students, where 58 out of the 69 students were released that same day while the remaining 11 were prosecuted.
OAU Lecturer Goes Physical With Student
In the early hours of Wednesday, 8th of November, a video surfaced online where a lecturer identified as Dr K.F. Ariyo of the Electronic and Electrical Engineering department was seen going physical with a Part 2 student of the Physics and Engineering Physics department.
According to reports gathered by ACJOAU, the student known as Gift mistakenly got into Dr. Ariyo’s class, and as soon as he realized he was in the wrong class, he made a move to leave. However, Gift was called back by Dr. Ariyo and was alleged of impersonation. As such, Gift showed his ID card, but it did not improve the situation.
During the interrogation by Dr Ariyo, he called on the security unit of the institution to whisk him away. Gift in an attempt to reach out to someone however fell on the bad side of Dr. Ariyo, who in turn went physical with him.
The Students Union however condemned the impulsive action by the lecturer and described it as ‘a show of absurdity’. Furthermore, the Students’ Union requests that the lecturer in question and the department as a whole commit not to victimize both the victim and the students of the class being taught by Dr Ariyo.
OAU Lecturer Slumps, Dies In Office
On Tuesday, 14th of November, the Department of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, lost a lecturer, Dr Ayo Ojediran to the cold hands of death.
ACJOAU gathered that the deceased slumped, and was found dead in his office.
Reactions from students in the Faculty revealed that the deceased lecturer was understanding and cared for his students during his lifetime.
Enitan’s Guinness World Record Washathon
Enitan Subair, a 200-level student of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages accomplished and set a new record for the longest hours of hand-washing, washing for 58 hours straight.
The wash-a-thon which kick-started on Friday, the 24th of November, at the Students’ Union car park ended during the late night hours of Sunday 26th of November. The record was set straight with a total of 58 hours and 28 minutes.
Chisom’s Accident On Road 1
A few days after the 47th convocation ceremonies of the university, a final year student in the Department of Agricultural Economics identified as Chisom Nwankwo, on Tuesday 12th of December, lost her life in an accident that occurred along Road 1 on campus. Nwankwo was said to be going to a class on a commercial motorcycle along Road 1 when the accident which claimed her life occurred.
Multiple sources confirmed that immediately after the accident occurred, Nwankwo and the motorcyclist who conveyed her were rushed to the health centre, from where they were referred to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, where she was confirmed dead.
West African University Games
The Obafemi Awolowo University hosted the 2023 multi-sport event among student-athletes from across West African countries, ‘West African University Games’.
Ahead of the competition, the institution’s Sports complex particularly the track and the tennis court, experienced a facelift. The facelift, handled by SI Standard Services Concept LTD improves the playing surface as well as the aesthetics of the track and the tennis court.
The competition which started on the 17th of December, had 22 institutions from Nigeria and Ghana in attendance.
In a display of talent and sportsmanship, the University of Ghana emerged as the overall winner of the 2023 West African University Games hosted by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) by winning 10 Gold, 8 Silver and 3 Bronze medals.