No doubt, Oduduwa University in Ipetumodu, Ile Ife, Osun State is one of the fast-rising privately owned institution of higher learning in Nigeria with a promising outlook. Established in 2009, its President, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin frequently tells the story of how he nurtured into what it has become today from a humble beginning as a tutorial centre. Adedoyin owns tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria. Such schools include Our Saviour’s University, USA; Oduduwa University and The Polytechnic, Ile Ife. Many salute Adedoyin’s courage for establishing a university in a location with an existing federal university with a huge influence and towering reputation. Oduduwa University was founded on the finer principles of excellence which the president of the institution vowed to uphold.
However, news filtering out of OUI in recent times is not palatable. The university has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Not too long, some students who live off campus were allegedly murdered in an unfortunate communal clash between the people of Ipetumodu and a rival town. The most worrisome incidents which have become frequent is repeated cases of robbery and rape of female students. Authorities of the school appear to be overwhelmed as its security personnel do not have a response to felons who raid students’ hostel to strip them of cash and other valuables at will. The hapless students whose parents pay handsome fees for their education are subjected to other harrowing experiences including long spells of electricity outage and trekking several kilometres in search of water.