Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi yesterday,
cautioned indigenes and residents of the ancient town of Ile-Ife not to take
laws into their hands over the selection of the substantive Vice-Chancellor of
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire.
The monarch, who noted that protest is
everybody’s right to make his or her unheard voice to be heard, said it must be
done peacefully.
A statement by his Director of Media and
Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, yesterday, cautioned indigenes and residents of
the ancient town who are aggrieved by the process that led to the selection of
the vice chancellor, not to take laws into their hands.
He assured workers and students of the
institution of their safety as well as their properties, promising the
protesters that their agitation will be given adequate and objective attention.
According to the monarch, protests are
legitimate rights and ways to pass messages of dissatisfaction across to the
relevant authorities but such protests must not be made to jeopardise peace and
security in the society.
“Protest is everybody’s right to make his
or her unheard voice to be heard. This is always adopted by professional and
academic stakeholders/trade unions, religious bodies, political parties and
even concerned individuals but it must be done peacefully,” he said.
Meanwhile, the university management has
commended the peaceful manner in which workers and students tolerated the
protests.
A statement, signed by the Registrar of the
university, Mrs. M. I. Omosule, said: “The university management is not unaware
of the hardship occasioned by the unwarranted invasion of the university campus
by Ile-Ife indigenes. The situation is constantly being monitored and
everything possible will continue to be done to bring things under control.
“Management empathises with members of
staff and students who have been injured or traumatised in this unfortunate
state of affairs.
“However, the management has noted the
unfortunate and inimical roles of some individuals and wishes to remind
everyone of the need to desist from acts that are capable of disrupting the
peace of the university.”
Also, the Global Executive Council, Great
Ife Alumni Association (GIAA), has sued for peace in the university.
A statement by Global Publicity Secretary
of the alumni body, Akeem Amodu, appealed to both the traditional and political
leadership of Ile-Ife to sue for peace and engage all critical stakeholders
towards an enlightened and amicable understanding.
The association also asked the university
authorities to keep the doors of dialogue open towards restoring normalcy.
However, the Development Agenda for Western
Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, yesterday, decried the invasion of the university by
the Egunguns and Ogbonis.’
Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr.
Seye Oyeleye, while reacting in a write-up titled: “Macabre Dance Must Stop”,
described the development as a display of crass impudence and dancing naked in
the market square.
Oyeleye emphasised that the struggle to
head a university, under normal circumstances, ought not to have degenerated to
a situation where the ‘Egunguns and Ogbonis’ are invading a world-acclaimed
citadel of learning.
He pointed out that OAU is now a federal
institution and its leadership must always be open to anyone who is qualified
and so selected by the committee saddled with that responsibility.
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