Public Lecture: Why We Shut Our Gates Against Peter Obi — OAU Management
By Rotela Oguns
The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has stated that it didn’t deliberately scuttle the public lecture which Peter Obi, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was scheduled to deliver in the institution.
The varsity clarified that it would have granted the request to use the institution as venue for the lecture but for the failure of the organizers of the proposed event to inform its management on time.
The institution’s explanation was contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the organisers of the lecture did not provide details of the calibre of the guest until Friday, just a day before the scheduled programme.
The statement added that the short notice put the management in a tight corner prompting the decision to decline approval for the request to use the institution as a venue for the proposed lecture.
While giving further explanation for its decision, the OAU management noted that the short notice made it impossible for it to carry out proper security and logistical arrangements necessary whenever high-calibre personalities are visiting the university.
“The general public is hereby informed that a particular group within the Students’ body extended an invitation to the former presidential candidate and two-term governor of Anambra State to deliver a lecture within the University premises.
“It is important to note that events involving high-profile personalities of such standing require adequate prior notification to the university authorities because it will enable the institution to make necessary logistical and security arrangements, including proper liaison with relevant security agencies such as the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to ensure the safety of the guests, members of the university community and the general public.
“Consequently, given the short notice and the attendant inability to complete these critical arrangements, the university authorities could not approve the use of Oduduwa Hall for the event as requested by the organisers,” the statement signed by Olarewaju read.
The varsity’s management insisted that it has no axe to grind with Obi, stressing that the decision was taken purely in the interest of safety, orderliness and adherence to established protocols governing the use of university facilities.
The statement added, “It is not, in any way, a reflection of disregard for the person or status of His Excellency, Peter Obi, whom the university holds in high esteem.”
The reaction from the OAU management was prompted by the a statement posted on Saturday on Obi’s verified X handle criticising what happened in the Ivory Tower as a “troubling pattern” of cancelling university engagements across Nigeria, warning that intellectual freedom in the country’s institutions of higher learning was increasingly under threat.against intellectual engagement.
According to the former Anambra governor’s post, he was scheduled to deliver a keynote lecture at OAU, Ile-Ife, at 9 am, before proceeding to Ibadan for an opposition party’s political summit billed to commence at noon,
Obi, however, noted that he was enroute to the venue of the lecture when he received word that the event had been called off.
The former Anambra State governor said the development was far from an isolated occurrence, disclosing that similar cancellations had taken place on more than 10 separate occasions.
“While such occurrences may be dismissed in isolation, it is important to state clearly that this has now happened more than 10 times.
“This is no longer incidental; it points to a troubling pattern that should concern all well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.
