OAU Declares Three Week Mid-Semester Break Amid Protests Over Transportation, Welfare Issues

By Rotela Oguns

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has announced a three-week mid-semester break for the students of the institution.

The decision was taken following raging students’ protests which had spread from the University community to federal highways, roads and other facilities outside the Ivory tower.

The students organized the protest to register their displeasure over transportation challenges, welfare concerns, and delays in the university’s e-portal system.

Addressing the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, the University’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju stated that the Senate approved the decision after student protests intensified.

According to the statement, “the University Senate has approved that the students proceed with a mid-semester break for a period of three weeks, with immediate effect.”

“The situation has continued to pose concerns for the safety and well-being of members of the University community and the public, despite efforts to engage and appeal for calm,” the statement read.

The university urged students to abide by the law during the break, stating that it would provide time for discussion with stakeholders and the return of normalcy to campus.

The development comes after the OAU Students’ Union staged a protest in which a sizable number of students marched to demand immediate action about delays related to the school’s e-portal upgrading, transportation problems, and housing issues.

The union insisted that the protest would be nonviolent and focused on returning to normal conditions for students, and a decision from a congress held at Awo Café had supported it.

According to the resolution, “the demonstration shall be conducted peacefully… with the intention of blocking major roads and gates leading to the campus until our demands are met.”

The planned midterm evacuation from Awolowo Hall and the current e-portal upgrade, which they said interfered with course registration and results access weeks into the semester, were also criticized by students.

Recall that sometime last year, the country’s First Lady, ‘Remi Tinubu visited Obafemi Awolowo. During her visit she complained about transportation of students in the University community particularly the use of motorcycles and public buses on campus.

Tinubu hinted at the fact that the means of transportation adopted by the institution posed risk to the lives of students promising to do something about the situation.

Weeks later the First Lady initiated transportation reform in the institution by donatiing thirty compressed natural gas powered shuttle buses and twenty solar-powered  tricycles

But the introduction of the shuttle buses and tricycles for intra-campus transportation created new difficulties as there were complaints of lengthy queues which caused delays for students going for early morning lectures and other engagements.

The students also stated that drivers of the buses always ask them to purchase another ticket to convey them. from various bus stops on campus to the hostels, among other grievances to justify the protest.