OAU amphitheatre ceiling falls, injures students

A part of the ceiling of the Amphitheatre of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, collapsed on Thursday injuring eight students.

Supreme News reports that students were at the time of the incident receiving a morning lecture at the venue at Oduduwa Hall.

The Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union Government, Elijah Omisore, speaking with newsmen, debunked earlier speculations that the entire roof of the amphitheatre collapsed.

According to him, only a part of the ceiling collapsed on eight students, who are now receiving treatment at the university health centre and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC).

He said he was, however, grateful to God for not recording any death.

Omisore urged the school management to continue monitoring to ensure the maintenance of lecture buildings and hostels for the safety of staff and students.

Meanwhile, the management of OAU has, in a statement, appealed to students and staff to remain calm and go about their academic and administrative activities without fear.

The statement, signed and issued on Thursday by the spokesman of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, attributed the incident to the day’s windy rainfall.

“The wind affected the ceiling of the amphitheatre as it fell off and injured a few of the students,” it read.

According to the statement, the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Simeon Bamire, led other principal officers to the Medical and Health Centre of the university, ensuring the injured students were adequately attended to.

In addition, the statement said the VC followed two other students with cases demanding more medical attention to OAUTHC.

It explained that the Chief Medical Director (CMD), OAUTHC, Prof. John Okeniyi, physically supervised the proceedings.

“The Vice-Chancellor has, therefore, appealed for calm and urged students and staff to go about their academic and administrative activities without any form of untoward action.

“Meanwhile, the management of the university has sealed off the amphitheatre, the venue of the unfortunate incident, until further notice,” it read.