OAU Division of Student Affairs Orders Associations to Pay N500

The Department of Student Affairs in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has ordered all registered associations on campus to pay a fee of N500 in order to gain access to the halls of residence when new students resume.

In a statement released by the department, all registered associations on campus looking to welcome the newly admitted students on resumption day were directed to apply for a permission letter from the hall warden, which would cost them N500.

“All registered associations who wish to welcome fresh students on resumption day at Anglo-Moz should see the hall warden, Moremi Hall, for permit letter with a token of N500,” management ordered.

In the same notice, the DSA announced that not all registered associations will be allowed into the hall on the first day of resumption, Saturday 30th March 2019, noting that it is a walk around day for the new students.

“No organization/association is allowed to engage the fresh students on the Saturday of walk round,” the department instructed.

Student Associations React to the Directive

Several associations run by students in the school have reacted differently to the Student Affairs notice.

The president of the National Association of Ondo State Students, Mr Adekola Oluwasesan, noted that it is a good step in the right direction, saying that it will prevent unregistered associations from flooding the halls.

He also shared his thoughts on the fee announced by the department, stating that he did not understand the reason for it.

“I feel it’s crazy and unnecessary…I feel they are trying to extort associations because there’s nothing special to pay for there,” he said.

The President of the National Association of Public Administration, Students Christian fellowship, Miss Blessing Fayemi, who spoke with Campus Reporter on the notice, said it will help the curb activities of irrelevant associations on campus and ensure sanity on the campus.

“In every organization, there should be limitations and boundaries. We know the current state and number of fellowships (association) in OAU, I understand that frequent communion is needed so that the body is edified and this can be achieved with the help of Christian organizations constantly communing with the brethren. But, as much as this is needed, I think boundaries and limitations should be placed to ensure orderliness,” she concluded.

However, the Acting Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (OAU Chapter), Olowolafe Samuel, stated that the levy shows the management’s lack of empathy for students, hinting that it is also an avenue for them to achieve their aim of commercialisation.

“The introduction of N500 charge for campus organisations to welcome and render necessary assistance to incoming students, simply reflects the insensitivity and full-scale commercialisation agenda of the authorities,” he said.

He went on to assert that the school management has not been able to resolve the accommodation issue on the ground to improve the welfare of all the students and that the fee placed on all association, who intend to assist the fresh students when they resume, is arbitrary and is an exploitation of the organizations on campus.

“At a time when the university authority hasn’t done any tangible thing to alleviate the suffering and challenges of both incoming and returning students who are plagued with the accommodation policy, demanding an arbitrary fee of N500 for a voluntary assistance is the height of exploitation and disrespect for the toiling students and their respective organisations,” Mr. Olowolafe protested.

It should be noted that fresh students are to resume on March 31 while the stalites will resume on April 7 for the 2018/2019 academic session.