Tag Archives: SUG

University of Jos dissolves SUG over new tuition

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The University of Jos has dissolved the institution’s Students Union Government (SUG).

This is contained in a statement issued in Jos on Wednesday by Abdullahi Abdullahi, the school’s Principal Assistant Registrar, Information.

According to the statement, the university has constituted a five-man Caretaker Committee in place of the SUG.

The statement quoted the UniJos Vice-Chancellor, Sebastian Maimako, as giving reasons for the dissolution to include protest by the SUG against the new school charges of N45, 000 as directed by the Federal Government.

Other reasons, the statement said, included the SUG’s decision to convene a meeting of students without due approval from the Directorate of Students Affairs, which resulted in a protest with the students carrying placards.

It added that the SUG officials had similarly mobilised students to attend a meeting where parents were shouted down.

“They externalised an internal issue, affecting the university without following the acceptable laid down procedures for conflict resolution in the university.

“They were also intimidating and issuing threats to law abiding students, including fresh students who were willing to comply with the payment of the new school charges.

“The SUG officials also maligned principal officers of the university, including the VC on various media platforms.

“Using the social media, they misinformed members of the public on the action taken by the university authorities in the process of implementing the new school charges,” the statement read in part.

According to the statement, management had on several occasions invited the SUG officials to dialogue on the matter of the harmonised school charges for federal universities, but they remained intransigent and refused to see reasons.

It added that the students, by all the actions taken by the dissolved SUG officials, clearly indicated their desire to disrupt the smooth running of the institution.

The vice chancellor, in the statement, therefore, directed the dissolved SUG officials to handover all properties belonging to the union in their possession with immediate effect.

Mr. Maimako, thereafter, announced the constitution of a five-man caretaker committee of the SUG with Wuyep Nansar as chairman.

It also announced Timdi Nkat as Secretary, Yilmazaka Gershinen, Idi Ishaku and Ekweozor Nzube as members.

According to the statement, the vice chancellor charged the committee to maintain the spirit of discipline and dedication in line with the university’s motto.

Mr. Nansar, on behalf of the other members of the committee, promised their readiness to put in their best to contribute to the peace and progress of the institution.

He said they would use their wealth of experience to work with the students, management and all for the benefit of the system.

 

Source: NAN

Daniel A. Moses: OAU No More “Oba Awon Universities”?

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The self-acclaimed “Oba Awon Universities” (King of universities) is fast losing its credibility for which it was acclaimed king. OAU, which is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s finest universities in terms of academic prowess and otherwise is now beginning to ridicule itself amongst others through its very irrational actions. No thanks to both the school management and its students.

In the late hours of December 1st 2015, the governing council shut down the school indefinitely and still went ahead to suspend the Students Union Government (SUG). So shameful of the school management, I must say. This development only came after students boycotted lectures demanding better welfare conditions, fumigation of the halls of residence which have been conquered by bedbugs, rats amongst other demands.

Instead of the management to look into these demands, all they could think of was to shut down the school and mute the student’s mouthpiece.

What is the justification of collecting large school and Hostel fees from students if they cannot be provided with basic amenities like good power supply, clean water, neat environment and habitable halls of residence. I really do think the school management should start acting like fathers and mothers that they are to their students and NOT display a Master-Slave relationship with them.

The fast declining reputation of the Obafemi Awolowo University has left me pondering for hours, days or maybe weeks if this once great university is still the “Oba Awon Universities”.

Now, on the part of the Students Union Government, I want to vent my disappointment at the way matters are being handled by its leadership. In my little sojourn on planet earth, I have come to discover what is called a “dialogue” and I think the union officials should have discovered that too.

You don’t always resort to violent protests to make a certain body meet your demands. There are more civil ways of doing this. Also, if we are conscientious in observing this scenario, we would discover that most of the strike actions that occur in OAU are majorly products of these violent protests by students. So what is the gain?

Now to fellow students, even if you are supposed to be living in luxury given the large amount of hostel fees you pay, the reality is you are NOT living in one. There are certain things you can organise yourselves or contribute money to carryout to make your environment a more habitable one. This is why we are higher animals.

Should we keep watching until the great ife is diminished enough to be called “Omode Awon Universities” (Child of Universities)? I guess not.

Tweet @oluwadaniemoses

OAU student union leaders budget N1.8m for phone calls

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Student Union executives and legislators at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have budgeted N1, 837, 550 to make official phone calls between August, 2015 and January, 2016.

In a copy of the Student Union budget made available to Punch and debated by members of the OAU Student Representative Council on Sunday evening, the leaders also had a separate budget for internet facilities and sending of bulk Short Message Service.

The Punch Newspaper reported that the sum, which did not include the one for purchase of phones, was budgeted by the leadership of the Central Executive Council and Students’ Representative Council led by Mr. Omotayo Akande and Mr. Adebari Aare respectively.

Others are the clerk, deputy speaker, halls of residence executives, chairmen and secretary of transport, judicial, and budget and finance committees.

The student union leaders, who in totality budgeted N26, 090, 469 for their various needs, are expecting an income of about N15m.

A breakdown of the budget showed that the speaker, Mr. Adebari Aare, proposed to spend N232, 500 for official phone calls for 310 days, while the president of the union also proposed to make calls for 180 days with N108, 000.

Among other items that surfaced on the president’s budget were fuelling at the cost of N270,000; bus maintenance, N300, 000; ‘intervention’, N300, 000; and security vote, N300, 000.

Contained in the speaker’s budget is welfare costing N217, 000; long journey and short journey accommodation, N1, 250, 000; long and short journey trip, N500, 000 among others.

When contacted, the Chairman, Budget and Finance Committee, Mr. Abayomi Samuel, said the budget had not been approved.

Samuel, whose committee also budgeted N114, 000 for phone calls, added that some of the expenses had been reduced.

It was gathered that students of the university are divided over the budget as one of them, identified as Sammy, said, “How will they say they want to make phone calls with that kind of money when we are all complaining of poor toilet facilities and lack of food in our hostels. This is extreme wickedness.”

-Punch