By James, Michael Igiri

In the wake of the protests which rocked the university last week over

the issuance of students’ identity cards before the first semester

examination and use of electric-powered cooking appliance in the

hostels, management of the University of Ibadan on Monday

announced the closure of the institution.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka,

announced that the closure followed a protest by the students and to

avert a breakdown of peace on campus.

Undergraduate students of the institution were advised to vacate the

campus by 6pm on Monday while the first semester examination,

earlier scheduled to commence in June, has been moved to July 17.

However in a congress called by the Student’s Union on Saturday, the

student body unanimously resolved by giving an ultimatum to the

school authority to constitute a Students’ Welfare Board, and set up a

committee to look into the issue of the use of electric-powered

cooking appliances in the hostels.

Meanwhile, as show of their displeasure with management, the

students also took over the busy Mokola-Ojoo road, causing a

gridlock while calling on the school authority to accede to their

demands.

In a swift response, a statement from the school management on

Sunday however stated that contrary to the students’ claim that their

requests were not taken seriously, the school authority had addressed

the demands and appealed to the students to be calm and shelve the

protest.

It read: “The expanded management of the university met with the

leadership of the Students’ Union on May 28, 2017. The meeting is

sequel to the resolutions passed at the Students’ Union Congress that

was held on May 27, 2017.

“The management called the meeting in the interest of peace and the

wellbeing of our students.

“The problem of the use of unauthorised cooking appliances in the

halls is not new. Indeed, at a meeting between the university

management and the students sometimes in 2014, it was agreed that

cooking appliances, especially hotplates, be abolished in the halls of

residence because of the huge cost of electricity to the university.

“Besides, the non-use of these cooking appliances is part of the

agreement signed by each student before taking up residency in the

halls.”