Scores of concerned students in Oyo State converged on the University of Ibadan (UI)’s Gate on Friday to stage a peaceful protest over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Solomon Emiola, a 200 level student of UI, who led the protest, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, said the students were tired of staying at home.
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He said: “Our leaders have continued to play politics with our future. Our goal is to shut down the whole of Ibadan until our demand is met.”
He said the protest would continue daily until the government listens to the yearnings of the Nigerian students who are being delayed unnecessarily.
Another of the protesters, who identified himself as Daniel Eyilabor, said schools should be opened as his colleagues who didn’t go to school are living well and making progress.
“If we say that school is a scam, we will not be wrong because our lives are on hold and those who even graduated do not have jobs. We have to stand up for our rights,” he said.
Also, Mr Emelieze Andrew, a former Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the protest was to awaken the spirit of students whose rights were being trampled upon by the state.
Andrew said the lingering ASUU strike was due to the negligence and failure of leadership; citing various comments of stakeholders.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards carried by protesters include: ‘Closing school is a treason’, ‘Education over Election’, ‘Road Closed, end ASUU strike now’, among others.
NAN reports that movement to and fro along UI and Ojoo road was stopped while commuters took alternate routes to their respective destinations.
NAN also reports that security agencies were on the ground to forestall the breakdown of law and order. (NAN)
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