Amphitheater Roof Collapses at OAU, Injures 6 Students

Ile Ife, OSUN STATE The Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State Students’ Union leadership has disclosed that no fewer than six of its students were injured after the roof of the Amphitheatre of the university collapsed following a heavy rainfall accompanied with whirlwind.

Open Television Naija reports that the roof of the amphitheatre lecture hall at the Oduduwa hall collapsed in the morning while 100 level students were having a lecture in the hall.

A statement signed by the Students’ Union President Abass Akinremi disclosed toat six students among those taking lectures in the class were injured during the incident.

The Union tasked the Federal Government to focus more on funding tertiary institutions, especially in the area of renovation of dilapidated buildings.

While commending the University medical team for the prompt attention given the injured students, he noted that the students leadership will remain vigilant in identifying potential safety hazards in the school.

It reads in part “It is sad to note that the whirlwind caused a damage to the ceiling covering at the Amphi theatre which sparked a collapse of some section of the ceiling resulting in injuries to a number of students who were in the SER 001 Class at the time.

“Our preliminary assessment indicates that approximately six students were affected, with varying degrees of injuries. Some sustained injuries to the head, others to the legs, and some have incurred injuries to other parts of their bodies. Immediate action was taken, and every arm of the school management swiftly responded to the emergency.

“We wish to assure the Great Ife community and the public that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected students. Those in critical condition were promptly transported to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) for urgent medical attention”.

Open Television reports that the roof-collapse incident is coming at time when the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decried the failure of government at all levels to fund universities properly and adequately while the union has also threatened to embark on another nation-wide strike over failure of government to constitute the governing board of universities, the 2009 agreement between the government and the union among sundry issues affecting university lecturers in the country.