Editorial | Adejumo Kabir
The students' union building of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife has turned to some persons shrine in recent months as some students consider themselves important than others and uses the familiarity they have with the leadership of the security committee to bully, threaten and assault their colleagues.
Earlier on Thursday, 19th of January 2017, a call was put across to the Secretariat of National Association of Students of English And Literary Studies (NASELSOAU) that a female student from department of English was slapped in the union building by one Babatunde Oluwatosin (known as Tbabs).
On getting there, l told a friend who saw me that I have come for the moderation not just as a journalist but as a student of English whose colleague has been assaulted in the building that is meant to be the safest arena for students on campus.
The victim claimed that she was mocked by Tbabs and his friends which led to strong argument between both parties. She was quoted saying "Tbabs threatened me that he would slap me in the union building and no one will hold him responsible, after hard talks between myself and him, he eventually slapped me and plans to go further until he was dragged away by his friends popularly known as Aloba and Micolo", She said. Of course l believe that to every event, there is a cause. Notwithstanding, slapping wasn't the next step to take.
On the side of the accused, Tbabs claimed that the female student abused him, drag his cloth and he only touched her head while trying to relieve himself from her. (funny though)
At the cause of the moderation, witnessed spoke and confirmed logically that Tbabs assaulted the female student and threatened her. Different submissions were given by students including with the President of department of English, Afiz Gba, Deputy Speaker, SRC of the department, Hon. Gboye and other students of the institution.
Verdict was given after the victim of slap requested for apology letter to be pasted across halls of residence (yet to be done) and signed an undertaking which he did.
Truth be told, the matter would have been swept under the carpet as usual (as some moves by some persons showed that today) if not for the intervention of the executives of English department and some concerned students of the varsity.
It saddened one to see the accused still threatening and bullying other persons while moderation was going on.
It is so barbaric that OAU Students' Union Security Committee lacks the discipline to even call her members to order. Funny enough, all friends of the accused who appeared at the moderation turned emergency security members.
Don't forget that the same committee recruited a student who stole ballot box during the first Faculty of Arts Congress that held last year which was part of the abnormalities that led to the cancellation of the first Faculty Congresses last semester.
It is high time we told these people who find pleasure in denting the image of the union that posterity matters in our everyday activities and history will not forgive them.
Regards,
Adejumo Kabir,
Department of English, OAU
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