Two people have been injured in a fight that ensued between Students Union Government, SUG, leaders of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday.
During the fight, the Vice President of the union, Miss Jacob Tosin, allegedly broke a bottle and stabbed the Social Director, Adedayo Emmanuel, in the arm.
It was learnt that Tosin, who also received a headbutt from Emmanuel, had been admitted to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife.
The fight, according to multiple sources, started when a meeting was held on how to spend a sum of N3.8m released to the union by the university management.
Trouble started when the union’s President, Ibukun Edward, asked other executive members for a project that could be financed with the N3.8m that the school has just disbursed to them.
While the president reportedly suggested the construction of a relaxation centre for the students, the Public Relations Officer, Simon Okediji, reportedly pushed for a library, while the Welfare Director, Ajiboye Adekanmi, was said to have asked that a staircase to a major lecture theatre be constructed, among others.
The VP, popularly called Emerald, was said to have proposed that freshmen’s packages should be sponsored with part of the money. Her plan was allegedly rejected.
According to the executive member, who did not want to be named, Emerald flared up and attempted to leave the meeting, but was persuaded to stay till the end.
“She proposed N1.4m for the freshmen’s packages. We told her that when we get the dues for this session, we would look into her suggestion. She flared up and was about leaving the meeting when Lamba (Emmanuel) jokingly told her not to leave and stood on her way. She slapped him twice and held his shirt.
“We separated them and continued with the meeting, but the VP was still angry. After a while, we just saw her rushing to open the refrigerator of the president; she was looking for a bottle. We thought it was a joke and someone pointed her attention to an empty bottle; she smashed it on the table.
“When the bottle didn’t break, she smashed it on the floor and took a part of the broken bottle, charged at Lamba and stabbed him in the arm. While we struggled to collect the bottle, Lamba also headbutted her.”
The student leaders had earlier been accused of misappropriation when they used a previous disbursement of N3m in June to purchase a bus.
Though the union executive members said the bus was purchased for N2.5m, students of the institution insisted that the bus was bought for N900,000.