OAU Student Welfare Crisis: NANS Southwest Gives Management 48-Hour Deadline

I, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students Southwest Zone D, cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing hardship being experienced by students of Obafemi Awolowo University.

Over the past weeks, I have closely monitored the situation on campus, and what is evident is a disturbing pattern of administrative insensitivity and disregard for student welfare. The realities faced daily by students are not being met with the urgency and responsibility they deserve.

Let it be clearly stated: the students have conducted themselves with commendable maturity. From the 72-hour lecture boycott to peaceful engagement and protest, they have shown restraint, discipline, and respect for due process. At no point did their actions degenerate into violence. Any narrative suggesting otherwise is misleading and unfair.

The issues at hand are serious and cannot be ignored. A transportation system that leaves over 35,000 students stranded, facing overcrowding, delays, and safety risks, is unacceptable. Equally unacceptable is the attempt to displace students from Awolowo Hall in the middle of an academic session without proper planning or alternatives.

Most troubling is the decision to enforce a mid-semester break immediately after a peaceful protest. This raises serious concerns and appears less like a solution and more like an attempt to silence legitimate student voices.

As Coordinator of NANS Southwest, I stand firmly with the students. Their right to welfare, fair treatment, and peaceful expression must be protected at all times.

For this reason, I am issuing a clear and non-negotiable 48-hour ultimatum to the management of Obafemi Awolowo University to address these concerns decisively.

Failure to act within this timeframe will leave us with no option but to activate coordinated and lawful actions across the Southwest. We are prepared to mobilize, we are prepared to stand firm, and we are prepared to ensure that justice is not denied.

I want to emphasize that we are not enemies of the institution. We are partners in progress. But partnership must be built on mutual respect, responsiveness, and a genuine commitment to student welfare.

The time to act is now. The management must restore confidence, prioritize students, and uphold the integrity of the institution.