The Students Union of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State on Monday demanded unconditional reinstatement of some of the students of the institution who were suspended by the management recently.

The Union President, Comrade Ibukun Oyekan made the demand while addressing a press conference at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, on Monday.

Oyekan read a press statement signed by himself and the Secretary of the union, Boluwajaiye Adeoluwa and Public Relation Officer, Okediji Simon in which the union appealed to the university management to reinstate the suspended students to avoid crisis on the campus.

According to the statement, “the leadership of Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union and the entire students of the university hereby use this medium to vehemently condemn the illegal and unjustifiable suspension of four undergraduates and two postgraduate students respectively by the OAU management.

“We use this medium to debunk lies and subterfuges that have been made against our members. It must be clearly asserted at this point in time that students only embarked on a peaceful protest and what followed was their indefinite suspension from the university. The union hereby demands immediate and unconditional reinstatement of these students.

“We demand an end to era of victimisation of activists among the students on account of expression of their grievances and dissatisfaction over the current state of Obafemi Awolowo University campus.

“We demand the university management to call the leadership of Postgraduate Hall as well as Great Ife Students’ Union to a roundtable discussion which must lead to quick, immediate and unconditional reinstatement of students on suspension among other issues.

“We demand the university management to be more committed to facilitating a holistic improvement in the general welfare conditions of students on campus by ensuring stable supply of water and electricity on campus, standardisation of our laboratories and equip the university library with updated books, as well as renovation of existing halls of residence and construction of new ones to decongest the population of students living off campus which is characterised with a very poor security network.

“We charge the Federal Government of Nigeria to be more committed to funding the education sector by approving 26 percent of the total annual budgetary allocation to the sector to raise the general standard of education in the country which will in turn increase productivity, innovation and creativity, development, etc.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria is also charged to be sincere with their fight against corruption by ensuring that no corrupt politician has a place in this current administration.

“We also demand the Federal Government to gear up their efforts in combating the plagues of poverty, terrorism, diseases (monkey pox) and youth employment in the country.”

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