OAU Students’ Union Executives Meet with University Management to Discuss Key Concerns

The newly elected Students’ Union executives of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) recently held an important meeting with the university management to discuss pressing issues faced by students.

During the meeting at the Senate Building, the SU executives highlighted several key concerns, including a demand for a reduction in school fees, more accommodation facilities, and solutions for the transportation challenges that students encounter.

Leading the charge was the Students’ Union President-elect, Omoboriowo Isaac, also known as Dr. Bush. He passionately called for a decrease in school fees, reflecting on how affordability was a significant factor in his decision to attend OAU.

“When I came in as a part one student eight years ago, I was paying nineteen thousand naira only. It was just three thousand higher than the money I paid while in secondary school,” he stated.

After the meeting, another SU member, Busari Samuel Timileyin, who is the welfare officer-elect, emphasized the primary goal of the gathering was to address student concerns. He shared, “The discussion focused on issues affecting OAU students, particularly concerning accommodation and transportation.”

Timileyin further detailed that the union leaders presented various issues to the Pro-Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor during their discussions. He noted that the current eight halls of residence are inadequate as they cannot accommodate the over thirty thousand students attending OAU.

He expressed the urgent need for better facilities, saying, “The hostel needs to be well maintained. Some halls lack basic amenities such as bulbs and sockets, forcing students to seek charging points elsewhere.”

Transportation was another key topic brought up at the meeting. Timileyin highlighted the need for additional buses and longer vehicles to serve the student population effectively. He also called for improved communication between the university management and bus drivers to address issues like extortion.

“There is a need for the management to call the bus drivers to order and have a lengthy discussion with them,” he remarked, stressing the importance of resolving these matters promptly.