It is disturbing that the federal government is endangering the lives of students and staff of Obafemi Awolowo University.
For some weeks now, the media space has been awash with the issue of unregulated mining in OAU, but the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals has turned a deaf ear to it despite the fact that it is life-threatening.
Just last Monday, it was reported that a group of Ife indigenes invaded the University land with a bulldozer beside Poplat Fuelling station. According to them, they have been mandated by Ife community to build a fence to demarcate Ife land from that of the university. Meanwhile, this land has a-three block students’ hostel in it. The hostility of some unscrupulous elements in Ife community has not permitted the university to utilize it since 2018. Now, they want to go ahead to erect a wall around a hostel which was built with taxpayers’ money with a claim that it is their land. The said land also has the university sawmill which has been there since 1972.
For context, the hostel was constructed to house both boys and girls through TETFUND intervention. Unfortunately, when it was to be opened for allocation to students, there was threat of fire and brimstone by some elements in Ife community which forced the university management to halt the exercise. In fact, the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ogunbodede and his convoy was attacked right on the land by hoodlums.
All indices suggest that the university is under the mercy of some elements in Ife. But the federal government must understand that if this issue is not tamed right now, a serious violence will soon ensue between the Ife community and the University.
In fact, I was expecting that the university management would have issued a statement as regards this latest issue of encroachment but it seems the management does not want to offend some elements in Ife.
Encroaching on a land that has been allocated the university by the federal government suggests that these people do not bother about town-gown relationship. The hostility is not healthy for teaching, learning and research. The federal government must act swiftly.
President Tinubu must come to the aid of students and lectures of OAU. I am particular about this because I am aware of the dangers and brutality associated with unregulated mining and encroachment on a university land. The university management must also stand its ground and stop being an onlooker.
Kazeem Olalekan Israel, OAU, Ile-Ife
