Students of the University of Ibadan on Monday continued their protests over the unresolved issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and the federal government which led to the closure of federal and some state universities in the country three months ago.
The students continued their protest with the blockage of the highway linking Sango, Bodija and Ojoo.
The blockage of the highway led to a traffic jam around the institution’s main gate as motorists try to maneuver their way out of the scene.
Speaking with Radio Nigeria, one of the leaders of the protesting students, a three hundred level student in the Department of Sociology, Mr James Azubuike said the federal government was more concerned about election rather than their education.
Mr Azubuike who said the protest would be taken to the Iwo Road interchange, noted that the students had their means of identification on them to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the protest.
Radio Nigeria observed that men of Nigeria Police, Operation Burst and Oyo State Security Network code-named “Amotekun” were on ground to ensure orderliness.
Our correspondent also observed that the protest had caused traffic jam in most of the narrow roads within Orogun and Agbowo axis of Ibadan.
Similar, following a protest embarked upon by students of the polytechnic Ibadan today, the institutions second semester examination have been suspended pending the time when the crises is resolved.
The public relations officer of the institution, Alhaji Soladoye Adewale stated this while reacting to the student’ protest.
Alhaji Soladoye said significant percentage of the students have neither paid their tuition fees nor completed their registration saying computing their result would be difficult.
“A very high percentage of them are owing tuition fees.
“Exam for full time is expected to start today while part-time students were writing before and we had to suspend the exam to compel them to pay the tuition fee.
“The Institution’s provided a lenient process in payment of their fees which is done twice 60% first and 40% thereafter but many of them have not paid their tuition fee. without payment, it is not possible to complete registration”
“But as it stands now, all examinations has been suspended by the Management.”
Alhaji Soladoye said sufficient grace have been given the students while the students have been told severally to fine tune their registration records in the institution.
Students of the institution shutdown academic activities within the campus while the institution’s main gate was locked.
Rotimi Famakin
