Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile – Ife, has said Opeyemi DARA, the 400-Level student who committed suicide was not doing poorly academically.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju on the death, the university noted that Opeyemi’s Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), which was 2.68, was on the Second Class Lower (2.2) band and could not be said to be poor academically, contrary to claims that she committed suicide because of poor grades.
The statement also noted Opeyemi had no outstanding course to write and was only preparing to submit her final year project as a student of the English Department.
The statement reads: “The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile – Ife, will like to commiserate with the parents, guardians, colleagues, friends and well-wishers of late Opeyemi Dara, a part four student of the Department of English, who was said to have committed suicide allegedly because of poor academic performance. The authorities of the University would, however, like to use this medium to put the records straight.
“Miss Dara is on a Cumulative 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 could not 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).
“Opeyemi DARA was admitted to the University in the 2014/2015 academic session and her graduating year result (2017/2018) indicates 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.
“Opeyemi DARA, who resides off-campus, 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. She was said to have been brought in by the parents and readmitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the OAUTHC last Thursday August 1 and she unfortunately died the next day. There are indications that she had an underlying medical condition.
“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.”