23rd June, 2011
Students of the University of Ibadan, UI, today protested on campus over lack of water and electricity, saying that they would not go back to class except the school authorities address the perennial problems.
They carried placards with abusive inscriptions against the school authorities.
The students completely paralysed all activities on campus as they disallowed commuter vehicles and (okada) motorcycle operators from working.
The students in their hundreds blocked the school’s gates and prevented people from going in and out of the university. They also locked the two main gates and the pedestrian gate and went away with the keys.
As at the time of filing this report, the university staff could not enter their offices and some were forced to return home.
Addressing the students, the president of institution’s students union, Tokunbo Salako, said that the student leaders held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Adewole who noted that the school authorities could not salvage the situation.
Salako said that the VC regretted that UI is not isolated from the social problems in Nigeria, saying that there is no stable electricity and water supply anywhere in the country.
According to Salako, while halls of residence such as: Kuti, Jaja, and Tedda, very close to the administrative block enjoy electricity supply, others like lndependence, Lydia halls don’t have electricity power for more than three hours per day.
As at the time of filing this report, the student leaders are holding a closed door meeting. But information revealed that they might have concluded arrangement to take their grievances to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) office to confront their staff.
Contacted, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Joke Akinpelu said that the school was disappointed about the development.
According to her, it took the vice chancellor over two hours yesterday to explain to the students the challenges the institution was facing, adding that over N200 million has been spent within six months to fix electricity.
She said: “Federal Government allocates N16 million for overhead cost and as at last month we spent N20 million to buy diesel. We are trying our best to ensure that the students study in a convenient and conducive environment. We want them to show understanding about our plight and the nation’s plight too.â€
The students were hostile and did not allow the photographs of the protest to be taken as they beat-up a student who attempted to take pictures.
—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
