EDUCATION- oau workers disrupt jamb mock exams

 Some non-teaching staff of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, have disrupted the mock examination of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the school premises.

The mock examination was scheduled to hold on Monday within the OAU premises, being one of the centre approved for JAMB CBT by the examination body.

The Centre Coordinator, OAU ICT, Dr Sururah Bello, told reporters during an interview in Ile-Ife, Osun State, that the examination could not hold after the non-teaching staff stormed the centre.

She said the striking union members were aggrieved due to the fact that the Joint Action Committee, an umbrella body of the three unions, declared that the earned allowance earlier given to the management should be withdrawn.

But, the Vice Chairman of the National Association of Academics Technologist (NAAT), Adeyosoye Olusoji, who spoke on behalf of some union leaders, noted that fact that the strike was still ongoing.

He, however, accused the management of issued a press release and threatening the workers, despite being fully aware of the industrial action.

Olusoji also claimed that the management ordered that the OAU workers should go back to their offices to avoid being dismissed.

He said the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, had threatened to invite the police into the campus to clear the roadblocks mounted by striking workers.

According to him, this brought about the reactions which caused the aggrieved workers to disrupt the JAMB mock examination.

In his reaction, Professor Ogunbodede denied the allegations, saying he was only appealing to the workers to allow the mock examination to hold as OAU was just part of the designated centres.

He, however, condemned the action of the unions which he said could have a negative impact on the university.

The Area “A” Commander of Police, Moore, Ile-Ife, Funsho Adegboye, who intervened in the matter, commended the maturity exhibited by the workers since the struggle began.

He also appealed to both parties to allow peace to reign and create room for dialogue for the benefit of the students and entire the community.