Authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have announced the closure of the university till further notice.
The closure, according to a release by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, Friday evening, became necessary to forestall breakdown of law and order following the continuous protest of the students.
A 24-year-old, female, final year student of the Department of Foreign Languages Adesina Aishat, died and students blamed her death on the lackadaisical attitudes of the health personnel in the health care center of the university.
This, however, led to protest by students who insisted that the management must investigate the death of their colleague and punish those health officers for their ‘negligence.
“The management understands the grief resulting from this untimely death within the community and sympathises with the parents, friends, colleagues and the entire students of the University on this sad loss, and prays for the repose of her soul.
“However, management condemns in strong terms the continuous and uncontrolled protests by the students culminating in unbridled brigandage, blocking the Ife/Ibadan and Ife/Ede highways and other adjoining roads that could be used as alternative routes, and engaging in other acts that are detrimental to their health and the safety of the generality of the people.
“Therefore, having exhausted all necessary avenues to call the students to order and allow normalcy to return to the Campus and its environs, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, have accordingly closed down the school until further notice. This is to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“In view of this, all students are hereby directed to vacate their halls of residence and the Campus latest by 12:00 noon on Saturday, 2nd October, 2021. Consequently, the swearing in of the newly elected Student Union officials has been put on hold, pending a review of the situation.
“In the meantime, the University management has put in place the machinery to unravel the circumstances surrounding the immediate and remote cause(s) of the crisis.”
