Female students residing at Mozambique Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Oyo State woke up to a bizarre occurrence on Wednesday morning. A man entered the hall and collected waste water coming from the bathroom of one of the dormitories. This prompted an alarm from the students as it it raised fears that like the stealing of pants, the collection of the waste water was for ritual purposes. This nearly led to a protest from all the student body.
A student living at Mozambique Hall narrated the occurrence thus:
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Students living in Mozambique Hall at the entrance of the Hall
“A man claiming to be a student of Agriculture Economics entered the hostel (an act which should not even have been allowed by the hostel porters seeing as males are only allowed in by 4pm on weekdays), claiming to have a letter signed and stamped by the Dean of Students Affairs that would allow him collect already used bathing water of female students flowing from the pipes;
He reportedly carried out this act under the watch and with permission of a female porter. A cleaner that witnessed the act being perpetuated couldn’t raise alarm because she claimed that she was threatened with loss of job. She however tried to get female students in the area to take action but the culprit had left the premises;
Shortly after, the news went round the hostel and all female students stepped out to the Porters’ lodge protesting and questioning why a male should be let in at that time to perform such an act. Annoyed at the refusal of the Porters to say anything since they obviously knew the action was wrong, a good number of students, male students, with the supervision of the Hall Executive Officers marched on to the Division of Student Affairs to lodge a complaint.
The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof Isiaka Aransiola calmed students down, promising to see to the end of the matter. Some students went to the Faculty of Agriculture to make enquiries on whether or not there was such a practical given by the department and the answers were false.
Prof Aransiola later went to Mozambique Hall, where he had a brief meeting with the Porters.
He later addressed the students and told them that the University authority was aware of a research project being conducted by a students which involved the use of waste water.
The students were further enraged as they claimed the Dean’s story was not consistent. The claimed the the Dean initially claimed ignorance of what led to the incident. They therefore marched to the freedom centre where they started protest. Some of them also went to the office of the Vice Chancellor to report the matter to him.
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Students discussing in groups in campus during the incident.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Ogunbodede later addressed the students and calmed them down.
In a telephone interview with Gavel International, the University Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Biodun Olanrewaju explained that the student’s actions was due to “misapplication of decency” .
Olanrewaju explained thus: “What happened at Mozambique Hall was officially approved by the Dean Faculty of Agriculture, Dean Faculty of Technology, and Head of Department of the student who was doing a research that necessitated the use of waste water. Because he wanted to collect the water from Mozambique Hall, he applied to the he Dean of Student Affairs”.
Olanrewaju further explained that the DSA approved the request. It the DSA approval that the unknown student took to the Hall warden who assigned a cleaner to assist him in the collection of the waste water before the students raised alarm.
He said the Vice Chancellor later addressed the students at the Freedom Park and calmed frayed nerves. Olanrewaju described the incident as “a storm in a tea cup” and that it has nothing to do with Yahoo plus, or stealing of female pants for rituals.
GAVEL.
