Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Tuesday said it has agreed to close down the university from Wednesday, February 22 to March 15 for the general elections.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Odunayo Adebooye, disclosed this while speaking with journalists during the 16th matriculation ceremony of the university held in Osogbo.
He said, “we have decided to close the university for elections and students will be away till March 15.
“We have decided to allow our students to be out of work on Thursday and Friday so that they will have the opportunity to travel to places where they registered, to vote in this election.
“For staff, the university will be closed on Thursday and Friday. My warning to the students is that they should vote their conscience and that they should not be involved in vote buying because it is a crime,” Adebooye added.
Earlier in his address, the VC boasted that the university had operated uninterrupted academic sessions since its establishment in the last 16 years, noting that the university has not missed any sessions, and it has constantly admitted and graduated students as scheduled.
He assured the students of a conducive environment, stating that the construction and completion of a 78-room hostel accommodation on the main campus in addition to the existing hostel will accommodate 332 students from April 1st and it will be charged N25,000 for the remaining part of the session.
He said, “we will sustain the progress we have achieved by trying to maintain our standards. We have set this standard for ourselves and you will not see us eroding the standard.”
Noting that the admission of students has increased from 3,700 to 6,750 this year, Adebooye said the increase is a result of the good name of the university because it has admitted students and graduated students at the right time.
He warned the new students against indiscipline, saying “it is essential for me to underscore the University’s stance towards social vices, examination malpractice, cultism, indecent dressing, drug abuse, sexual harassment, and truancy. The University frowns extremely at these vices, and there are consequences and penalties attached to each depending on the enormity of involvement.
“We have structures in the university to investigate issues that relate to misconduct, indiscipline, and crime. The moment we get our facts correct, we don’t blink our eyes to take extreme action, i.e expulsion, and it is not negotiable. We have done it, not one time and not twice. We will continue to do so to maintain the integrity and reputation of the university,” Adebooye added.
