OAU students protest over delay in receiving ID cards despite payment

A group of students from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, organized a peaceful demonstration on Monday at the university’s main gate to protest the continued delay by the school administration in issuing identity cards, which they had already paid for.

During the protest, the students blocked commercial vehicles from entering the university grounds, causing traffic congestion along the Ife/Ede highway.

As the demonstration progressed, many travelers on the busy Ife/Ede route encountered significant difficulties navigating through the traffic jam.

Likewise, individuals conducting business on campus faced challenges in gaining access to the school premises, as the protesting students inspected vehicles and denied entry to commercial buses.

An open letter addressed to the university management and signed by the President of the Great Ife Students’ Union, Isaac Omoboriowo, along with two other union officials, revealed that students would boycott the upcoming second-semester exams unless the identity cards were produced and distributed.

“This is not a new issue; it is one we have persistently raised before the beginning of the first semester of this academic session. From then until now, the ninth week of the second semester, the Students’ Union has consistently engaged the university management on the failure to produce and distribute identity cards to students.”

“This prolonged failure has created deep and far-reaching consequences: many students have been stopped and harassed by police and military personnel, unable to identify themselves as students because the institution has not issued ID cards. Students applying for scholarships, grants, or jobs have lost chances due to the absence of verifiable student identification,” the open letter read in part.

The student union outlined additional challenges resulting from the absence of ID cards, including the uncertainty faced by final-year students preparing for the NYSC, who still lack official identification from the university.

The letter also stated, “Exams are approaching, and the same students who paid for ID cards still don’t have them. Therefore, we make this clear declaration: If the university fails to issue ID cards to all students before the commencement of examinations, students will not sit for any examination.”

“This is not a threat; it is a legitimate demand. It is a stand against administrative negligence. It is a call for dignity and accountability. We hereby urge the university management to immediately finalise and distribute ID cards to all students across faculties, and we will not go into the examination halls without our rightful identification as students of this great university.”

In reaction to the protest, the university’s management issued a statement signed by the Dean of the Division of Student Affairs, J. Odedire, affirming the administration’s dedication under Professor Simeone Bamire to providing a supportive atmosphere for students on campus.

Odedire noted that during a meeting with the Students’ Union leadership, he clarified the reason for the hold-up in issuing the ID cards.

“This unintended delay, which is attributable to the logistics of the incorporation of the smart features embedded in the ID card, has been addressed by the company charged with the production. The university authority is giving priority attention to ensuring that the first batch of the ID cards is delivered, latest by Wednesday (28/05/2025).”

“The importance of a means of identification cannot be overemphasised, and the university administration will do all within her powers to ensure that our students’ right is not tampered with in any way,” Odedire said.