Thousands of students at the University of Ibadan staged a massive protest on Wednesday against a recent hike in school fees and other related issues.
The protest began as early as 8 a.m. with visibly angry students blocking all entrances to the institution, effectively locking out both academic and non-academic staff.
The demonstrators moved from one faculty to another, ensuring that academic activities were completely paralyzed. They strictly warned against any video recording of the protest.
The protesting students cited three primary grievances. Firstly, they accused the school management of being unjust and insensitive to their plight, particularly with the decision to shed power, which would result in students spending some days in darkness. A male student expressed frustration, questioning how they were expected to study under such conditions.
Secondly, the students were outraged by the astronomical hike in school fees. One of the protestors highlighted the financial burden on their parents, stating that even basic needs like feeding were difficult to meet, and now the tuition fee hike added an unbearable strain. The increase has seen some students’ fees rise from around N78,000 to over N300,000, with others paying N200,000.
The third issue revolved around the victimization of some students who had participated in previous protests. These students had been arrested and detained, which the current protesters deemed as a further act of injustice by the authorities.
The protest disrupted the early proceedings of a scheduled programme at the Department of Economics, CBN Hall, set for 10 a.m. The students ensured that all gates were shut, and staff members who managed to reach the premises had to seek safety amid the chaos.
One of the protesting students succinctly summarized the sentiment: “We cannot take this any longer. Enough is enough.”
For information on Press Releases, Photos, Promotional Events and Adverts, Please message us on WhatsApp via (+234) 09052129258, 08124662170 or send an email to: info@educeleb.com.
