Electricity: University denies plan to ration power after students’ protest

The management of the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has disowned the memo stating that it has plans to ration electricity within the campus.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the university, in a statement issued by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Joke Akinpelu, on Thursday in Ibadan, said the memo which sparked the students’ protest is not from the university.

On Wednesday, students of the university protested a hike in tuition fees and poor power supply on the campus asking the university management to reverse the sad memo over electricity rationing.

The protesting students barricaded the school gate while a sizable number of them gathered at the university’s administrative building, even as they carried placards.

Memo

The students claimed an internal memo signed by the university’s Director of Works, Olufemi Adetolu stated that the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale, had approved a 10-hour daily electricity supply on the campus.

According to this directive, there would be electricity supply from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

According to NAN, Ms Akinpelu, however, said the authorities had met with the leaders of the students’ union over the protest, highlighting the challenges in the institution.

She said the meeting was presided over by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Peter Olapegba, who empathised with the students on their conditions which resulted in the protest.

Challenges with electricity tariff

Mr Olapegba said the institution’s management is being hampered by inadequate funds.

According to him, the university presently pays over N80 million monthly for electricity, adding that with IBEDC’s plan to move it to Band A, the institution might be paying nothing less than N280 million monthly.

The university’s statement also quoted the demands of the students’ union which include fee hikes, rationing of electricity, sales of handouts by lecturers, GES textbooks being made compulsory and poor welfare conditions.

Others were: alleged victimisation of the students who had earlier in the year protested the fee hike and inadequate security for the lives of the students on campus.

Other concerns

NAN reported that the deputy vice-chancellor reiterated that it was illegal for any lecturer to sell handouts and requested the students to provide evidence of such.

He expressed the university’s commitment to improving the conditions of living of the students.

To achieve this, Mr Olapegba said the management had been going cap-in-hand to mobilise the alumni, friends and benefactors of the institution to make donations.

He also said the university had not, in any way, victimised any student, adding that all it had done was to request the affected students to explain their actions, in line with the university’s rules and regulations.

While noting that security was a national problem, the deputy vice-chancellor said the university was trying its best to secure the lives and property of students and staff members on the campus.

He, therefore, appealed to the students to cooperate with the management to make the campus conducive for all and sundry.

Suspension of protest

The students’ union, in a statement dated 17 July announced the suspension of the protest following their discussion and the resolution reached with the school management.

The statement, signed by the students’ Union President and General Secretary, Aweda and Japhet Ogundijo respectively, appreciated all the students who took part in the protest.

READ ALSO: Withheld Salaries: NLC kicks as police disrupts SSANU, NASU protest in Abuja

The statement reads in part: “We have shown that our strength lies in our number and there is nothing we cannot achieve.

“Following positive discussion with the university management and the resolution reached (check earlier release), the union wishes to inform the general students populace that the protest is now suspended.

“The students’ union enjoins fellow students to return to class effective tomorrow, 18 July 2024 and give time for the management to implement the resolutions.”