Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, Osun State, has denied reports that one of its students, Opeyemi Dara, committed suicide following her alleged poor academic record.
The Part Four student of the Department of English who lived off-campus was reported to have committed suicide using “Sniper.”
But in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, and made available to FrontPage, the university explained that the suicide could not have been as a result of poor academic performance.
It explained that investigation into the matter indicated that the academic performance of the deceased was not bad to make her kill herself.
“Miss Dara is on a Cummulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.68 which qualified her, at least, to be an average student on a 2 – 2 class of grade. It is, therefore, our firm belief that a student who was on Second Class ((Lower Division) cannot be said to be poor academically, talk less of committing suicide because of such.
“In actual fact, Opeyemi Dara did not have any outstanding course except her project which she was yet to submit. The project couldn’t have been a challenge to her because she had authored two books – ‘Heels on Steel’ (a play) and ‘Let Me Run Mad Today’(a poem) both published by the Words Rhymes and Rhythm Limited (www.wrr.ng),” the school authority stated.
The university authority stated further: “Opeyemi Dara was admitted to the University in the 2014/2015 academic session and her graduating year result (2017/2018) indicate that SHE HAD PASSED ALL THE DEPARTMENTAL COURSES except Research Method and Project (EGL 420). She had NOT submitted any essay for grading which is understandable by virtue of her encounter of April 22 and the fact that she had not reported in the University since then.”
The authority explained that the deceased allegedly first “took the Sniper on April 22, 2019, but the Security Unit of the University, on getting the information, went to her house, took her first to the University Health Centre where she was referred to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC).”
She was treated and discharged home to her parents, the institution said.
She was said to have been brought in by the parents and readmitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the OAUTHC last Thursday and she died the next day.
She was suspected to have had an underlying medical condition.
The school authority, while warning students that committing suicide should never be an option in any situation said: “The Obafemi Awolowo University has a very robust Student Advisory System which has been in place for decades, and the university has the highest number of dedicated Guidance Counsellors of any university in Nigeria.
“The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, has appealed to all staff and students of the University to take advantage of the mechanisms put in place by the University administration in addressing all academic, social, medical and other challenges. All youths are advised never to see suicide as an option, since tough times do not last but are only passing phases in the lives of all mortals.”
