Tag Archives: Obafemi Awolowo University

PERFECTING THE COLLAPSE OF HEMORRHAGING ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER by Olumide Awoyemi

GerontocracyFollowing the directive of the Visitor that the university senate convenes a meeting to nominate an acting vice chancellor, I have found myself in a deep moral quandary as I reflect on the probable evolution of scenarios and their implications for the sanity of an environment otherwise consecrated for learning. It is a dilemma between my idealistic love of democracy and the practicality of deliberate gerontocracy as we rummage through this mud; a huge shame that the University finds itself dancing shoki naked in the village square.

The unprecedented nature of this challenge in the annals of university administration in Nigeria and the particularities of Obafemi Awolowo University senate incite fear and anxiety that the whole exercise could turn out to be the beginning of another journey through a labyrinth. It offends one’s republican ideal that most of the decisions, which have almost brought the University to its knees are democratically taken in an avowedly democratic institution constituted by men and women of highest learning. Continue reading PERFECTING THE COLLAPSE OF HEMORRHAGING ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER by Olumide Awoyemi

Rejoinder: Obafemi Awolowo University, between Wumi Raji and Adediwura Alawode by ‘Kunle Jaiyesimi

oau-logo It is no longer news that Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria is in crisis, as reported by various platforms. Wumi Raji, an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts of the same University wrote that the University “is in deep crisis” and has a lot to say about it, http://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2016/07/crisis-in-obafemi-awolowo-university-ile-ife/”.

On the 15th day of July, 2016, a hitherto Google-unknown character, in person of Adediwura Alawode, brilliantly wrote a rejoinder to Wumi Raji’s piece, http://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2016/07/rejoinder-obafemi-awolowo-university-crisis-and-falsifiers-at-work/“. The choice of the tag “hitherto Google-unknown character” in describing Adediwura Alawode was a result of the fact that while Wumi Raji provided his full identity, including his department, designation and a bold picture in the piece he wrote, the rejoinder writer only went as far as stating at the end of his piece, “Adediwura Alawode writes from OAU”.

Inasmuch as no one is to immediately presume that the referenced OAU stands for Organisation of African Unity, Continue reading Rejoinder: Obafemi Awolowo University, between Wumi Raji and Adediwura Alawode by ‘Kunle Jaiyesimi

Welcome to America; bye bye, Nigeria by ´Kunle Jaiyesimi

“Until you know how African you are,

you don’t know how American you are”

– Robert Farris Thompson

As a newbie in the nation of Samba, there was the expected need for mutual introductions. At that time, repeatedly so, owing to the fact that this is a non-English-speaking country, I found myself needing to come up with a name that will resonate with, is convenient for and easy to pronounce by my new acquaintances.

My choice was as easy as saying “hello” to the Brasileiros, which is a literal translation of the Portuguese “Ola” and a fitting subject to “Olakunle”, the first, intangible tag that I acquired as a being. In my more recent existence as “Ola”, I was always confronted by Continue reading Welcome to America; bye bye, Nigeria by ´Kunle Jaiyesimi

Breaking: A couple kissing and having s*x at the Road 1 gate of OAU by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

Friday, 15th of January, 2016; about 17:00 hours:

A couple (a young couple comprising a male and a female) was seen engaging in a brazen, no-clothes sex at the security post of the Road 1 gate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Video in a bit


They were seen at a vantage spot, where the roads meet, engaging in the act without regard to the timing and people, increasingly gathering. They allegedly rode on a bike through the gate, alighting at the security post premises. They immediately got undressed to the last piece
Continue reading Breaking: A couple kissing and having s*x at the Road 1 gate of OAU by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

The Laws of ‘Matrimonial’ War by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

Boko haraammmmThis piece was first published on  (by meronymofmeroe) and the conclusive plea towards eradicating the actors called Boko Haram seems to be most appropriate now considering the concluding words of this article “it is expedient for the nation to plead for the help of superior nations at this time that the armed struggle has taken a new form other than freedom-fighting. Terrorism is alien to Nigeria as much as it is baseless”. Hence, this might just be the best time for the piece to resurface. Enjoy.

“Since independence, our governments have been a matter
of few holding the cow for the strongest and most cunning
to milk. Under those circumstances, everybody runs over
everybody to make good at the expense of others.”
– Obafemi Awolowo

WAR could be an interesting subject especially when properly painted by an Architect of words. Although, it is definitely never going to be a sweet experience if you ever had to live through one – just one war-experience is enough for a lifetime, there are ways wars are described that make them as Continue reading The Laws of ‘Matrimonial’ War by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

Guise of “No Election Break”: Youth Disenfranchisement by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

youthIt is few days to Nigeria’s Presidential elections; and as expected, rumours and counter-rumours are really flying around like birds that have lost the compass to their nests. And facts, figures, forms of statistics, all get dug out even from the darkest recesses of our political community and thrown into the ashtrays on the tables before us. They are not food but information that we can quite well choose to make use of or ignore; and if we choose the latter, we rather ignore forever but the effects may never leave us, similarly, forever. Anywhere there’s light, there definitely has to be some shadows.

It is the presence of shadows in the form of threats and paranoia that seem Continue reading Guise of “No Election Break”: Youth Disenfranchisement by ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

ASKING QUESTIONS: SHALL THIS NATION STAND? BY ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

jossa“Shall this Nation stand?” is a mere rhetorical question because what would one expect of a human being whose body parts (head, eyes, nose, limbs, trunk, toes etc) were assembled from different species of animals and joined with dirty-water-soaked piece of tissue paper rather than welded? It is a question, nonetheless.

The visit of Femi Falana, SAN, to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Thursday, the 4th of December, 2014, where he was the Guest Lecturer at the Faculty of Environment and Design Management Guest Lecture Series, titled, “Legal Rights to Environment” gave Continue reading ASKING QUESTIONS: SHALL THIS NATION STAND? BY ‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi

WHEN VIRTUE SPEAKS BEAUTY KEEPS QUIET by Atilola Samuel

virtue“astonishingly, on a more keen observation of their perpetually smiling and giggling faces, I realized they were girls of the notorious Fulani tribe…”

There are times when the wafting warmth that causes our sublime heart to momentarily melt into a free-flowing fluid of guileless essence, that characterizes romantic feelings, is not the virtue of beauty but the beauty of virtue. There are times when virtue makes a woman appear more lovely and beautiful than she really is. For a truth, virtue is superior to beauty because it has a greater life span and it’s indestructible by the timeless elements of time and nature. No wonder some men, by the sheer force of the subtle superiority of virtue, have found themselves blossoming in the noiseless bosom of women who, although are not gifted with physical beauty, are blessed with the sufficient dose of this aromatic in Continue reading WHEN VIRTUE SPEAKS BEAUTY KEEPS QUIET by Atilola Samuel

OAU with suspected Ebola infection

oauIteoluwakiisi was taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Health Centre in the morning of Tuesday, 9/9/2014 for a medical ritual (to weigh him and record his developmental progress). We were turned back by the obvious absence of the usual smiling-faced nurses that held postnatal clinics every tuesday. A man, who seemed surprised to see us, stopped momentarily beside us, then moves on with his fumigation exercise. 

The whole place was smelling of fumigant. We turned back before anyone had the chance to turn us back. A little Continue reading OAU with suspected Ebola infection

Abortion@OAU: ‘Stubborn’ baby refused to be flushed down a female hostel toilet

IMG-20130619-WA001 (1)-001

It was just dawning and no one would have suspected to find blood stain, talk not of a new born baby, in the toilet of the female hostel in a University. But that’s exactly what happened at Moremi Hostel of the Obafemi Awolowo University in the early hours of Wednesday, 19th of June, 2013.

 

First, the callous act of a thief, who crept into the said female hostel served as a major concern for most of the residents of the hall as they woke up one after the other. He stole items including laptops and was about breaking into another room when he was sighted and an alarm raised. He vanished. Who knows, he probably was just a harbinger to the heroic baby’s arrival.

Continue reading Abortion@OAU: ‘Stubborn’ baby refused to be flushed down a female hostel toilet

Tribute: Apakos on the way to Professorship

Na privilege to be associated with these beautiful people of the world. Search dem mind and arrive at bliss.

Yesterday, na em dem do ‘invokation’ (nay convocation) for higher powers from Msc. to PhD.

We wish them the best journey ever. lAkUnLeScReWs is proud to be associated with you guys. Gbam! See pictures after the cut… Continue reading Tribute: Apakos on the way to Professorship

Naija: More than worth its weight in gold?

 

RADIO SHOW:   Good Morning Naija

STATION:             MeroëRadio

TIME:                    25 hours G.M.T. every single day, no be small thing

Today’s Issue:    Naija: More than worth its weight in gold?

 

 

You are welcome to the maiden edition of the radio show, ‘Good Morning, Naija’ on MeroëRadio. This episode promises to be exciting. We shall be focusing on the Naija we know vis-a-vis her current status.

 

This is borne out of an interest in the catchword employed to brand the golden jubilee of Obafemi Awolowo University, the only University apart from the others – “OAU@50: More than worth its weight in gold”.

What is gold? I’ll say gold is gold!

Call it whatever, in whatever language and in whatever way, the very nature of gold remains. Conceal it in the mud, call it dlog or ungold; what it is is what it is.

 

There is the beauty and there is the pride of gold, anyday. The beauty may derive also from embellishment and colour-impact from the outside but the pride of gold is in the yellow beauty that arises from its core. This yellow is peculiar, a perfect representation of what gold is and maybe not what it could turn into. So, no embellishment. We switch to lingua pidgin.

 

Wetin Naija do again wey person no fit yarn in a language wey dey consider the peculiarities of the Naija situation (not really that special a case as not to permit it).

 

Two years ago, na em Naija clock 50. That one na wetin the Apostles of globalisation, wey dash us language (English type, forgive my error), call Golden Jubilee. Na the age for person to enter menopause and to say, “I don born all the children for my belle. Na to grow remain.”

Same thing with Obafemi Awolowo University, wey start her grand 50th anniversary celebration today (5th of November, 2012).

 

Before we continue, make we sammer you one ogbonge commercial break (CB).

CB: (Instrumentals)

BUY NIGERIA, DO NIGERIA, PLAY NIGERIA,

TAKE NIGERIA FOR A STROLL (NO LONGER FOR A RIDE,

BECAUSE THE GIANT IN NIGERIA WILL NEVER AGAIN FALL ASLEEP).

BUY NIGERIA FROM US!

 

You are welcome back. Now that Oba Awon University dey celebrate her 50 born years na the time to account for the number and quality of her children and the standard, developmentally, of her premises.

 

Her children dey scattered around the globe and are doing excellently well within and outside the country.

Structurally, OAU na the most beautiful campus in the universe (wow! Did I just word an inconclusive thought? of Nigeria (better). And things still dey happen. The Faculty of Pharmacy, my beloved constituency, go soon get a new ultramodern (I suppose) building worth hundreds of million in naira (of course) and just behind am, the Department of Building go get one worth a billion in naira. How benevolent!

 

Being not infallible however, we suppose admit say no system dey wey no get comma, even ultimately a full-stop. But in comparison with the larger system (the one wey give Great Ife the means to acquire the earlier mentioned buildings), Great Ife stands tall. In spite of every every, the people of the school work to keep one another moving on them toes and the subjects are pleased with the pace.

 

Abi wetin we go call country wey award contract not for the purpose of contract execution but sharing of contract proceeds. At this point (orita), Ife-Ibadan expressway waka come person mind. Not once, not twice! Similar situations suppose dey waka anyhow on the the mind of my audience.

 

Once again listeners and this time, I need a response. It don pass two years since Naija, more or less, become gold. How she dey do? “Naija@50: More than worth her weight in gold?”

 

As we dey reason the response, make we quickly go a musical break (MB) with D’banj’s Oyato. No change the station I beg.

 

MB: [Sing along]

 

You are welcome back. D’bank says he’s Oyato. No be so?  That one dey symbolize differentiation from the lot which precedes integration into the whole. Woe yamutu (betides) anyone wey sing to the contrary because the order of the day na differentiation for integration.

 

“Naija: More than her weight in gold?”

 

Listeners at home, our call line dey open. Call to let us know wetin you reason. Your reason dey important to us.

 

Once again, this show na Good Morning, Naija on MeroëRadio.

 

 

 

LAST PILL…

 

Love is all you’ve got when all else is gone.

Cling to it like nothing else counts; hold onto it like you would your last lifeline. Love is a tower that guards and launches.

There, no failures but you got hard conks for doing it the wrong way. that other; those others.

But one could say, in the widest imagination of the universe, “even love is relative” and then put a rubberstamp that displays the face of Albert Einstein.

It may be good to note that gold is gold in spite of all the embellishments, the alter egos. This tower of Love is Love at its core.