Poly Ibadan suspends Students’ Union over protest

The Management of The Polytechnic, Ibadan has suspended the Students’ Union Executives and its activities indefinitely, over an alleged protest by students in the early hours of Monday.

The institution in a statement by its Registrar, Mrs Modupe Fawale, on Monday in Ibadan, also postponed the first-semester examination intended to commence on Monday, Jan. 9, indefinitely.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that students had earlier blocked all access roads to the State Government Secretariat. At the same time, the school gate remained under lock and key, being guarded by the operatives of the Amotekun Security Outfit.

NAN gathered that the students were protesting the increment in refusal fees for hostel accommodation from N5,000 to N15,000 and the use of a consultant to run the affairs of the school.

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According to Fawale, the management described the protest as ill-motivated and politically inclined.

“The students union body has no formal complaint before the management concerning the examination slated to commence on Monday, Jan. 9, and therefore, their protest to the state secretariat is questionable.

”The management further noted that the students’ union breached the rule of decency by locking all the gates that lead to the institution and thereby causing unwarranted hardship to their colleagues,” Fawale stated.

According to her, the management is concerned over the hardship the protest extended to the members of staff of the institution, their host communities, the neighbouring university of Ibadan, and the general public at large, especially those who have engaged with the institution.

“It is on record that The Polytechnic, Ibadan students pay one of the lowest tuition fees among their contemporaries in the Southwest.

“Payment of tuition has been made flexible and convenient as students pay 60 per cent of the tuition fee during the first semester and pay the remaining 40 per cent during the second semester.

“The Institution has not increased tuition in the last couple of years.

“Protesting on a day that they should be sober and commence their examination which is a major academic activity leading to the award of their diploma is ill-advised, politically motivated.

“It is therefore of no reasonable value to the students and indeed to the development of education,” she said.

The management reviews the situation and will issue a statement on when the suspended examination will commence.

“We appeal to students to return to class and prepare for their examinations. We also appeal to parents and guardians to call their wards to order,” Fawale said. (NAN)