OAU Students’ Union Raises Alarm Over Campus Transportation, Summons Press Conference

OAU Students’ Union has summoned an emergency press conference over campus transportation and ordered the withdrawal of disputed transport tickets.

The Great Ife Students’ Union of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has summoned an emergency press conference for Friday, October 2, 2026, to address concerns surrounding the transportation system on the university campus and other issues affecting students.

The emergency briefing is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Students’ Union Building Conference Room, according to a notice issued by the Union’s Central Executive Council and signed by its Secretary-General, AbdulRoheem F. Arogundade, and President, Olalekan S. Kujembola.

The Union said the press conference would provide an opportunity to address what it described as pressing concerns surrounding the campus transportation system, although it did not disclose further details of the specific issues to be discussed before the meeting.

Alongside the announcement, the Students’ Union issued an immediate directive concerning transportation tickets bearing the name of a former Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The Union directed that the sale of all such tickets should stop immediately and instructed those in possession of the tickets, whether sold or unsold, to destroy or shred them.

According to the student body, its position is connected to the memory of George Iwilade, popularly known as “Afrika,” a former Great Ife Students’ Union Secretary-General who was killed alongside four other students during the July 10, 1999 violence at the university.

The Union described Iwilade’s death as part of a historical struggle for justice and said it would not accept any action that, in its view, undermines his memory. The directive therefore places the disputed tickets at the centre of the Union’s immediate protest over what it considers an unacceptable association.

The Union warned that individuals or groups who disregard the directive could face disciplinary measures under its constitution.

The development comes as OAU hosts the 2026 West African University Games, with the university scheduled to host student-athletes and officials from across the West African sub-region from October 2 to 12. OAU has identified transportation and security among the operational areas receiving attention as part of preparations for the regional sporting event.

The timing of the emergency meeting therefore places campus transportation under additional scrutiny as thousands of students, athletes, officials and visitors are expected to move around the university and between different locations during the Games.

The Great Ife Students’ Union has historically maintained a strong emphasis on student welfare, academic rights and social justice. Its current institutional materials describe the Union as the representative body of OAU students and identify welfare, academic rights and responsible leadership among its core responsibilities.

The Union’s historical records identify George Akinyemi Iwilade, known as “Afrika,” among the five students killed during the July 10, 1999 attack. The Union continues to preserve the memory of the incident as part of its institutional history and student activism tradition.

For students, Friday’s press conference is expected to provide further clarification on the transportation concerns that prompted the emergency intervention, as well as the Union’s position on the disputed tickets.

The outcome of the briefing could also determine the next steps in the Union’s engagement with the university administration and other parties connected to the campus transportation system.

The Union has called on students, members of the press and the wider public to attend the emergency press conference, where its leadership is expected to provide further details on the issues behind the directive and its broader concerns about transportation on campus.