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Emmanuel Onabodu  Since January 4, 2024, students at OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY have been facing difficulties due to a prolonged power outage in their residences. The lack of electricity has affected various utilities, causing inconvenience and disruptions to the students' daily lives. The breakdown in power supply has left students without access to essential utilities that rely on electricity. Water supply, in particular, has been severely impacted, resulting in inconsistencies and forcing students to trek 3 to 4 kilometers on campus to fetch water for their daily activities. With no electricity in their residential areas, students have resorted to using academic facilities such as classrooms and the library to charge their academic devices. This shift has created challenges for both studying and charging gadgets, as students struggle to find working electrical outlets. The consequences of the electricity failure have extended to lecture theaters, where in...

 By Miracle Elvis  The chairman of the Student Union  electoral commission, FM Castro has made it clear that there will be no second Congress despite the inconclusiveness of last Congress. When questioned on the situation of the previously held Student Union Congress, the Chairman, inferred that no conclusion was made on any matter at the Congress.  "We were there, we saw the chaos and it was getting late.” he said “we were not able to reach a consensus on any issue." Subsequently, the commission may be refered to as the 'firsts' as this is the first time student government practices has commenced since proscription four years ago - first Congress, first press conference etc. However, it should be noted too that this is the first time all inferences will be left to the mercies of the electoral commission as there will be no second Congress to fill the lapses had in the first. FM Castro made this clear in his statement on Sunday,  "We will not be holding a second...

  Students of EGL 206 started entering the hall four minutes early as their class, was due to hold by 12pm (of which they were to write a test that hour). He ordered them out claiming his time wasn't up and later became enraged by their slow response.  By 12:03, the lecturer (identified as Professor Ajisafe, Vice Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences) was yet to leave the class and was still sending the students out. He allegedly smacked two students on the head while still driving them out. Then, a student started taking pictures of the lecturer. This infuriated the Professor, who grabbed him by the belt and dragged him to the front of the class and seized his phone. What exactly the student said that annoyed the lecturer is not clear but subsequently, the lecturer slapped the student. This infuriated the students who came rushing down towards the scene. He had previously been rumoured to have allegedly been involved wth students confrontation in the past of which ended with him (...

  The question of male visitors being banned from entering the girls' hostel even during visiting hours has generated a lot of controversies. At the beginning of the Harmattan semester, it was a general issue across all the halls of residence. As time went on, things began to return to normal in the other girls' hostels: Mozambique, Moremi and Akintola halls. Alumni hostel, however, remained out of bounds to all male visitors for reasons unknown. On Sunday night, August 15, 2021, student union activists stormed the hostel to challenge the status quo. The noise of protests attracted the attention of everyone within the hostel and the girls came trooping out. Chants of 'bring back Alumni boys' rented the air as students demanded an explanation as to why boys were not allowed in the hostel. They demanded to know where exactly the rule was stated that male visitors should not be allowed even during visiting hours.  The heat intensified and the porters eventually bowed to th...

  Gbolahan Latinwo  Not less than three students fainted and were rushed to the University Health Centre on Saturday 14th of August, 2021 following the stampede that occurred at Amphitheater as a result of the large number of students that showed up for the SER 001 (Use of English) mid semester test. Earlier during the week, the department of English had scheduled the time and sitting arrangements for the general SER 001 test. Due to the population of students taking the course, the time intervals already slated for going and coming in for different batches were ineffective. Alas, the accumulation of several batches turned into a mammoth crowd and students had to struggle to enter and leave the auditorium. During this process of struggle, many students sustained injuries as they fell from the stairs, some lost their belongings and not less than three students fainted. However, the students were rushed to the University Health Center and were medically attended to. The test end...

  One attribute of humans that is very essential to their livelihood and survival is movement. Nobody likes to be confined or restricted. However, most people are confined to their houses and many people have found it difficult to move from one place to another especially, the ones that cant afford a ride of their own. The hike in transport fare these days have posed a serious threat to the mobility of many.             Waking up in the morning refreshed, you prepare for school. Once you are done, its time to hop on a bus and you check your wallet to realize you have just #150 left. Omo! my last 150 can't even take me successfully into campus! That before could go three times! E choke”   The excerpt above is a situation we have all experienced as students on OAU campus who enter school through public transport. Now, the issue of transport fare hike affects every student whose transportation medium is the public bus. For students who were home thro...

  Recently, a theft case in Obafemi Awolowo University community made news waves when a part 5 student of Faculty of Technology was accused of stealing properties belonging to some residents of Awolowo Hall. Following the event surrounding the theft case, the accused, Mr Bello Ibrahim popularly known as Great Bello, in his response to the measures meted out on him released a public statement stating that the actions of the security council and the Electoral Committee Chairman Mr Ajayi Oluwafemi popularly known as Castro was as a result of political difference and his stance against the candidacy of the said electoral commission chairman. However, the leadership of the Electoral Commission led by Castro called for an emergency Press conference on the 4th of August with the Association of Campus Journalists to clear the air on the whole issue. In attendance was the Chairman, Public Relations Officer, Commissioners from across the faculties and the witnesses as well as the theft victi...

  "I am not a successful electoral chairman until the administration I hand over to transcends. That is my major concern..."    The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Division of Student Affairs, conducted an election for the  Electoral Commission and  Petition on Tuesday, 6th July 2021. The election followed the reinstatement of the Students’ Union and saw representing commissioners from all 13 faculties voting to elect the leadership of the commission and petition. Association of Campus Journalism (ACJ) in its quest to be actively involved in the Students' Union election held an exclusive interview session with Mr Ajayi Oluwafemi, the Chairman of the Great Ife Students' Union Electoral Commission. ACJ : Congratulations on your emergence. For the purpose of introduction, kindly introduce yourself. Oluwafemi : Thank you very much. My name is Ajayi Oluwafemi popularly known as Efem Castro, 400l from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of ...

  Following the reinstatement of the Obafemi Awolowo University Student Union Government, the Division of Student Affairs conducted an election for the Student Electoral Commission and Student Petition Commission.  The Student Union Government was suspended due to clashes between students in 2017.  The election had in attendance; Prof. I. O. Aransi (Dean, DSA), Deans of Faculties of Law, Education, Social Sciences, Dentistry, the University's Chief Security Office and Public Relations Officer. The Electoral Commission and Petition Commission has 13 members respectively, which has the 13 faculties represented.  The Electoral Commission is saddled with the responsibility to conduct elections for the 2020/2021 Student Union Government and Student Representative Council Election while the Petition Commission serves as a check and balance for the Student Electoral Commission. The Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Prof. Isiaka O. Aransi, in his opening remarks said:...

  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has announced the resumption date for the 2019/2020 rain semester after a two-week break. The release signed by the university registra, states that students are expected to come to halls of residence from 19th June, 2021. While lectures are to begin from 21st June, 2021, it will take a hybrid form, that is, classes with more than 250 students will be taught online and classes with less than 250 students will be taught physically.  In the release, the university management reiterates that COVID-19 Protocols will be followed.

  The University has announced through the Chairman, 60th Anniversary Celebration Committee, Prof. Charles Ukeje that it will celebrate the university's 60th Anniversary. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife is one of three Universities established in Nigeria between 1961 and 1962 as a result of the report submitted to the Federal Government in September, 1960, by a Commission it appointed in April 1959 under the Chairmanship of Sir Eric Ashby, Master of Clare College, Cambridge, to survey the needs of post-secondary and higher education in Nigeria over the next twenty years. On 8th June, 1961 the Law providing for the establishment of the Provisional Council of the University was formally inaugurated under the Chairmanship of Chief Rotimi Williams. Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife The University started with five Faculties – Agriculture, Arts, Economics and Social studies (now Social Sciences), Law and Science. Six new Faculties were later added, namely the Faculty of Education ...

Following the university release requesting all faculties to hold elections for the position of Students' Union electoral commission and petition, the faculty of Social Science held its election on Friday, May 7th, 2021.  The highly controversial election or rather congress produced Efem Castro, a student of Sociology, and Fabio, a student of Psychology, as elected members of the electoral commission and electoral petition body respectively. The two winners will represent the faculty of Social Science as members of the electoral commission and petition - a body that will oversee the forthcoming Students' Union election and usher in elected members of the executive, legislative and Judiciary from the election.  Live observation of the election by ACJ correspondents showed that the election was widely politicized and marred with irregularities. Observation and information acquired revealed that the faculty does not formally have a students' body and a temporary one headed by ...

The Erstwhile President, Law Student Society, Obafemi Awolowo University, Yusuf-Amuda Lateef Adeyemi, has debunked allegations made against him concerning financial misappropriation in the previous administration. In a release, he stated that his administration left some debts behind, owing Dewaleowo (Nig) Enterprises a sum of N105,000 and a DJ’s fee of N25,000. He also claimed that the debts were incurred as a result of no admission of new students which was a way to raise to raise funds and expected a donation from the Governor of Osun State which was not forthcoming. He also, in his release, explained how the N1 million donated to the association was channeled in to some programs as opposed to the allegations of the student representatives’ council. He claimed that the money was used to finance an Annual Public Lecture and launching of Advocate Journal and also inter-faculty and football competitions. In his release, he stated that he was summoned by the DSA on t...