UI students mask up, protest hike in school fees, epileptic electricity, poor learning environment ---- We are carrying out massive interventions – University Authority

 

 

The age long problems of school fee increment, epileptic electricity supply, poor learning environment  among others which have been the ban of federal universities in Nigeria have once again constituted   the basis for protest in the Premier University of Nigeria University of Ibadan. 

Staff, students , residents and other visitors to the University were shocked as they were caught unawares  when they arrived early on Wednesday at the school gate to hoards of students wearing face masks and others covering their faces with clothes  holding placards stating their plights as they  blocked  the school entrances. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read ‘’ Enough is Enough Fees Must Fall’’, ‘’ From 35K to 200K, Shey fi pami ni fee must fall’’, ‘’ You are denying us the privilege you enjoyed’’.

The protesting students who had inscriptions written on their placards stating the various issues bedeviling the university and especially the students said they will continue to protest until the federal government reverses the over 100percent school fees hike among issues like poor electricity and water supply . Other issues the students mentioned include  poor health care , overcrowded lecture halls,  rooms among others .

The students were seen shouting and demanding the university to take prompt actions to address their concerns . One of the students  who declined to reveal his  identity  said ‘’ What the students of the University of Ibadan is protesting against  are not new issues per say. Take for instance the issue of electricity supply which has been one huge problem the University is facing. The school authority now said we are entitled to ten hours of electricity supply in a day but that time is not enough for us. The school fees was increased from N35,000 to 200,000. We do not have water in our hostels and we are very sad about the issue of poor electricity supply, increase in hostel fees to N60,000 per bed space ’’

Another student said ‘’ We have been calling on the attention of the University authorities concerning these issues but they have not done anything to address the issues affecting us. The University health centre do not have drugs  than paracetamol. We have no other way to get their attention and that is why we are protesting’’

The students kept shouting songs of solidarity as they ensured that commercial vehicles and private ones do not enter the campus for any business, lecture rooms were shuts as well. Consequently, staff, students, residents and visitors to the university were seen trekking long distances to their various destinations as the protest was still ongoing at about 2pm.

It was further gathered that the students had a meeting with the school authority at the Trenchard hall quadrangle where they were addressed by the school authority.

When our correspondent visited the venue of the meeting, it was observed that the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration Professor P Olapegba was addressing the students with a public address system. He said ‘’ The university is indeed carrying out a lot of interventions and doing what is necessary for the students. Like when there were leaking hostel roofs, the university ensured that the roofs were changed and general maintenance of the halls among other interventions was carried out’’. Professor Olapegba assured the students that the university is student conscious and will continue to proffer interventions that will foster good learning environments on campus and urged the students to be patient with the administration.