OAU Asks Students To Go Home, As Staff Shut Down Campus Activities

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Tuesday evening announced “end of the year break” in a forced response to the strike strike action declared by the joint congress of  Non – Teaching Staff, which comprises Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

The strike action action brought activities on OAU campus effectively to halt on Monday and Tuesday, with vital services shut down and main gate locked. 

The strike action, which commenced on Monday, followed opposition of the aggrieved staff unions to sharing ratio of the money for earned allowances released by the Federal Government. 

The disputed proposal is 89 per cent goes to the the Academic Staff Union of Universities, while the three non-teaching unions take the remaining 11 per cent. 

According to our correspondent who monitored the development on campus, the university’s staff school and the medical centre have been shut down. Similarly, Water and electricity supplies, both responsibilities of NASU members, have been cut, leaving students in halls of residence and staff in unpleasant situations. 

See the statement by the school’s spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju

As a result of the unpalatable occurrences occasioned by the strike action of the Obafemi Awolowo University branch of the Non – Teaching Staff, which comprises  Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Senate of the University, at its emergency meeting held today, Tuesday, 5th December, 2017, has approved that the Students of the University should proceed on an “End of the Year” break with immediate effect. 

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the Students have been asked to vacate their Halls of residence latest by 4:00pm on Wednesday, 6th December, 2017.

Accordingly, the general public, particularly the Parents/Guardians of our students have been asked to note this latest development and ensure that their children and wards are prevailed upon to comply with this directive.

Consequently, the students are expected to resume on Tuesday, 2nd January, while lectures commence on Wednesday, 3rd January, 2018. While we pray for journey mercies for our students to their respective destinations, we also wish them a Merry Christmas and Prosperous 2018.