The National Association of Nigerian Students has given the management of
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife a condition to end its scheduled mass
protest against the suspension of the Students’ Union in the institution. They gave the conditions after meeting with the management of the institution, according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of NANS in South-West, Kazeem Israel, on Thursday.

The PUNCH had reported that the students’ body had given a seven-day
ultimatum to the management of OAU and other institutions in the South-West to
reestablish their students’ union.

Reacting, the OAU management announced plans to reestablish its students’
union after its Senate meeting.

Our correspondent gathered that during the meeting with the OAU management,
officials of NANS threatened that it would order mass mobilization of students
to the university campus if there is no positive outcome from the Senate
meeting.

It was also learnt that many aggrieved student leaders across the South-West
have put pressures on the leadership of NANS to lead a mass protest in OAU over
students’ union suspension.

“If we hold a mass protest in OAU, other institutions will learn. Most of
them emulate OAU when it comes to unionism. We can have a peaceful warning
protest of 500 students mobilized across the region,” a former Students’ Union
president told our correspondent.

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However, Israel in the statement said NANS delayed its decision to hold the
mass protest hoping that OAU management would fulfil its promise.

Part of the statement read, “It is public knowledge that the leadership of
NANS Zone D, in fulfilling the mandate placed on them by the mass of Nigerian
students in the Zone, had, on the 6th of this month called on the management of
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the management of LASPOTECH, YABATECH
and UNILAG to reinstate the institutions’ suspended Students’ Unions within
seven working days.

“The seven-day ultimatum elapses today (Thursday) and we are expected to
signal all organs of the association that are already on red alert to mobilize
heavily to Obafemi Awolowo University to demand the unconditional reinstatement
of the Students’ Union till our demand is met.

“It is instructive to note that the management of Obafemi Awolowo University
through the Division of Students’ Affairs replied the leadership of the Zone
and the entire Nigerian students in the institution via a circular that
processes to ensure the reinstatement of the Students’ Union had begun even
before the ultimatum was issued.

“However, the Division of Students’ Affairs of the institution called for a
‘truce’ meeting with the leadership of the association in the Zone to discuss
issues as regards suspension and reinstatement of the Students’ Union.

“The leadership of the Zone, during the meeting, maintained that the
Vice-Chancellor of the University should communicate the general public via a
written statement that the Students’ Union of the institution has been
reinstated at the latest, Friday, after the conclusion of the University’s
Senate meeting where resumption of students is meant to be discussed.

“Both the DSA and the CSO assured the leadership of the Zone that the VC shall communicate adequately.”

Source: PUNCH