*says unrest politically motivated
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan on Monday, took to the streets to protest increment in their accommodation fees by the institution’s management.
The students during the protest, disrupted free flow of traffic as well as disrupting activities at the entrance of the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan.
Sources said the students until the recent development, were paying N30,000 for accommodation every session, while those not staying in the hostel paid N5,000 refusal fee, but that the management of the institution increased the refusal fee from N5,000 to N15,000.
Worried by the protest, the institution’s management in a statement by the Registrar, Mrs Modupe Theresa Fawale, suspended the Students’ Union Government (SUG) executive of the institution, as well as postponed the school’s first semester examination intended to commence on Monday January 9, 2023 until further notice
The management lashed out at the students for embarking on what it described as, “politically motivated” protest as there was no “formal complaint” from the students union body before the management concerning the examination slated to commence on Monday and therefore, their protest to the state secretariat is questionable.
The management stressed that the students’ union ‘ breached the rule of decency by locking all the gates that lead to the institution, thereby causing unwarranted hardship to their colleagues, the staff of the institution and their host communities, to the neighbouring University of Ibadan and to the general public at large, especially those that have official transactions with The Polytechnic Ibadan.
” The examination has been postponed until further notice, while the students’ union is suspended indefinitely. It is on record that The Polytechnic , Ibadan students pay one of the lowest tuition fees among their contemporaries in the South west”, she said.
The Registrar added, ” Payment of tuition has been made flexible and convenient as students pay sixty per cent of the tuition fees during the first semester and pay the remaining 40 per cent during second semester. The institution has not increased tuition fees 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 and therefore, of no reasonable value to the students and indeed to the development of education.”
Mrs Fawale stressed that, “the management is reviewing the situation and will issue a statement on when the suspended examination will commence”, adding, ” we appeal to the students to return to class and prepare for their examination. We also appeal to the parents and guardians to call their wards to order.”
