Hunger protest: OAU asks varsity community to be law-abiding

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has urged members of the university community to go about their civic responsibilities with a “high sense of commitment and vigilance.”

In a Monday circular issued by the university’s Registrar and Secretary to Council, Adetunji Bakare, the management gave the advice amid the planned nationwide hunger protests scheduled to begin Thursday, August 1, 2024.

Bakare enjoined students who had completed their examinations to go home and be with their families while those who are still writing their examinations should remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“A nationwide protest is being planned to commence on August 1, 2024. In view of this, the Vice-Chancellor has enjoined staff and students of Obafemi Awolowo University to prioritise their individual and collective security, not neglecting that of the university properties. They are also advised to be law-abiding before, during and after the planned protest,” the registrar said.

“Members of the university community are enjoined to go about their civic responsibilities with the highest sense of commitment and vigilance. The security unit in the university has been directed to keep surveillance over the entire university estate,” the statement added.

A student, Kazeem Olalekan, told PUNCH Online that he and some other students would be protesting peacefully, which according to him, is a tradition of OAU students.

“We are known as the only school where students go on protest without vandalising public properties. The management has just reminded us to be law-abiding as we embark on the protest which is the essence of the circular. The university management has just made the public know that, as students, we will be law-abiding before, during and after the protest which is the essence of the circular,” he said.

Kazeem said the police had assured them of security.

On Monday, a non-governmental organisation, ActionAid Nigeria, called on the federal government to ensure the rights and safety of Nigerian youths planning the nationwide protest.

The organisation emphasised the importance of citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest.

On Sunday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, urged Nigerians to be patient and give President Bola Tinubu more time to address the nation’s economic challenges.

Tunji-Ojo, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, emphasised the complexity and historical depth of the nation’s economic issues.

“Mr President, to the best of my knowledge, never campaigned to be a magician; he campaigned as a statesman. He campaigned based on ‘Renewed Hope’. Before hope could be renewed, it had dwindled,” Tunji-Ojo stated.

He highlighted that solving economic problems rooted in decades of mismanagement could not be achieved overnight.