The University of Ibadan administration in Oyo State convened a meeting with student representatives to address the recent wave of protests that have occurred over the past two days.
The meeting was held in response to the student protests
regarding the implementation of a 10-hour daily electricity supply on campus.
The management convened a meeting with the student body,
represented by the President of the Students’ Union, Mr. Bolaji Aweda, on
Wednesday
Aweda outlined several concerns on behalf of his associates.
He asserted that the students were demonstrating against the
following issues on campus: electricity rationing, increased fees, the sale of
handouts, the mandatory use of GES textbooks, subpar living conditions,
inadequate attention at the UHS, retaliation against students who had
previously protested the fee increase, and insufficient security for student
safety.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the
institution, Professor Peter Olapegba, addressed the students on behalf of the
management during the meeting. He explained that the implementation of the new
policy was necessitated by the rising monthly electricity bills paid to the
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The security of our Institution and its members is of utmost
importance. We acknowledge that security is a national concern, and we are
committed to safeguarding the well-being and assets of our students and staff
within the university campus.
Olapegba then took the opportunity to appeal to the students
to cooperate with the management in order to create a conducive learning
environment for all.
He guaranteed that the management would make every effort to
resolve the raised concerns using the resources at its disposal.
He praised the students for maintaining the integrity of
their protest by confining it to the university campus and preventing external
agitators from exploiting the situation.
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