OAU bans students' meetings and associations on campus

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has banned students from organizing meetings and forming associations within the campus of the institution.

The ban which comes a few weeks after some students’ leaders were arrested for stopping the school's management from ejecting over 100 students from one of the hostels was announced in a form given to students to fill.

In the form, the management of the institution warned students against involvement in the organization of any form of association or congress within the campus with expulsion or suspension from the school listed as the punishment for defiance of the order.

It reads, “You are not permitted to organize or participate in any congress or any gathering organized by any unregistered Association or Approved by Division of Student Affairs. Doing this will lead to loss of Studentship or Suspension.”

One of the students labeled the rule as ‘funny’, adding that it is a way of stifling the students from enjoying their rights.

“It is funny that the management is trying to restrict students from peaceful assembly and association. They also threatened students with suspension and rustication.”

It was gathered that students were mandated to sign and submit the form that was being given out by the hall wardens.

 Similarly, students have also been banned from cooking with electric gadgets in the hostels.

Students of the institution have also decried moves by the management to reduce the number of students staying in the school’s hostels.

They argued that the university should build new hostels instead of sending students outside the school, a move that they described as unsafe because of the current high rate of criminality.

One of the students said, “Presently, a lot of students are faced with a crisis regarding the accommodation policy. The number of hall occupants was drastically reduced under the pretense of decongestion, yet new halls are not built.”

Confirming the ban on students’ association and meetings, the spokesperson of OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju stressed that no student is allowed to hold a congress in the school because the management has already banned students’ union in the institution.

“The school authority has placed a ban on students’ union activities in the university, then who now holds congress?” he asked.

He added that the management decided to reduce the number of occupants in hostels to make the living situation comfortable for students.

He confirmed that the number of students in a room has been reduced to four and eight in bigger rooms.