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.”