The Students’ Union of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, at the weekend gave account of its stewardship at a press meeting held at the conference hall of the Students’ Union Building.
The president, Ibikunle Isaac, and some members of the executive, after the press meeting, took newsmen and student stakeholders at the meeting to inaugurate completed projects and inspect ongoing ones.
The Secretary-General, Olatayo Shittu, debunked the rumours that the union collected N18 million from the university management.
He said: “We expected N18 million from the university management, but the management is only willing to give us N6 million, out of which less than N5 million has been released to the union.
“The revenue came from students’ dues. Each student contributed N300, and having that from more than 20,000 students amounts to more than N6 million.”
Ibikunle said that it was from the accumulation of the money collected from the past administration and the money released by the university management that several projects were embarked on.
However, the completed and ongoing projects are erection of Storex tanks and pumping machines in the Angola and Mozambique halls respectively, as well as construction of two pedestrian bridges linking halls of residence. The union also bought two buses, out of which one is yet to arrive. It also renovated the Students’ Union Building conference room, among others.
“This administration started with no cash, especially during the struggle. There was the problem of fund because there was a problem with transfer of signature from the previous administration of Joel Fredrick.
“It was after the school fees increments struggle that N1.4 million was transferred from the last administration to the present one,” Ibikunle explained.
The student leader also added that the union is known to be accountable to the students.
The union, according to the president, also proposes to build a hostel of six blocks, which will contain 1,532 bed spaces to ease the accommodation problem facing the students.
Afees Lasisi
(OAU)