Posted by The administration of Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ijebu Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has prohibited students from wearing pam sandals to lectures.
On Monday, hundreds of students were prevented from attending class because they were wearing pam sandals, and the order went into effect.
Punch learned that the pupils were halted at the school’s Ago-Iwoye Permanent Site gate and instructed to go home and put on shoes.
A kid who only went by the name Durotimi described his ordeal, claiming that he missed lessons as a result of being prohibited from entering the school’s grounds due of his pam sandals.
It is disheartening, he said.
This morning, when we arrived at the school gate, we learned that the administration had adopted an undocumented rule that prohibited pupils from entering the building with anything but shoes, even pam sandals.
“It’s really terrible that a school like OOU, which has a very good reputation and standard, would enact such a policy, given the current state of affairs in the nation.
Right now, not even everyone can buy a pair of shoes.
“Many of us had 8 am courses, and some of us had tests scheduled for today morning, but when we arrived at the gate, we were delayed for more than two hours.
To prevent us from entering the school, it even got to the point where a police officer was needed.
Another student, who went by the name Ademola, claimed that when they returned to class following the month-long ASUU strike, they were not informed in advance about the strict clothing code.
When we arrived at the school today, more than 100 of us were asked to leave because we were wearing pam sandals, he stated. Unfortunately, we had not been made aware that palm sandals were no longer permitted on the school grounds.
This is quite depressing and unacceptable in the twenty-first century.
Another youngster, Chidinma, said to our correspondent that she and other pupils were harassed by the private security officers at the school for sporting pam sandals and were sent home.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. How can you make university students wear only shoes and not pam sandals?
This is wrong, impermissible, and an infringement on our rights. It also goes against human decency.
We are hoping that the administration of the school would reconsider,” she stated.
When asked to explain the policy, the school’s chief security officer, Mr. Adekunle Rasheed, said it was written into the school’s code of conduct.
The pupils were already aware of this restriction because it is included in the school’s code of conduct, according to Rasheed. Additionally, this was previously discussed with them during the orientation session last week.
“There are so many things that are not permitted on the school grounds, such as wearing shorts, tinted automobile glasses, and pam sandals, among others,”
Dr. M.S. Oladimeji, the dean of students affairs at the school, declined to comment on the situation, stating that he never anticipated the minor incident to become out of hand.
I’m sorry, but I’m unable to comment at this time since I never imagined that this insignificant issue would become so out of hand that it would be covered by a national daily. After speaking with the Vice-Chancellor, I’ll get back to you.