In response to the protest by University of Ibadan, Ul, students on Friday, August 30, against the recent increase in tuition fees by the institution’s Governing Council, the university management has ordered all students to leave the campus by 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 31.
The protest, which was peaceful, saw students expressing their dissatisfaction with the tuition fee hike implemented by the university authorities.
The students, during the protest, carried different placards with inscriptions such as, ‘We Say No Tuition Hikes, ‘The Management Is Insensitive To Our Plights, and ‘Our Parents Cannot Afford The New Hikes, while they blocked roads leading to the campus.
In a circular dated August 30, 2024, University of Ibadan Registrar G. O. Saliu instructed students to vacate the campus by 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 31, as the institution will be closed for three weeks.
The decision followed a meeting between the university management and the student union leadership on Friday, August 30, during which the Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the Senate, approved the three-week closure.
The directive will be in effect from August 31, 2024, until September 20, 2024.
The circular read, “All students are to vacate the university campus by 2 pm on Saturday, August 31, 2024.
“The hostel will be reopened from noon on Friday, September 20, 2024.
“Students are therefore, to note the following: The three weeks is to give students ample time to complete their online registration, the 2023/2024 first semester examination will now start on Monday, 23 September 2024, and the period for registration will be closed on Friday, September 2p, 2024.
“The above is for information and strict compliance please.”
In a statement released on Saturday by the Union of Campus Journalists, a media platform at the University of Ibadan, the students announced their decision to reconvene and continue their peaceful protest until their demands are addressed by the institution’s management.
The statement read, “Following the University of Ibadan’s announcement of a three-week break, students are once again mobilising to resume their protests, which have been ongoing for the past three days.
“The memorandum, released earlier today by the Office of the Registrar, has sparked renewed anger among the student body, leading to calls for immediate action.
“The management’s decision, which mandates that all students vacate campus by 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 31, 2024, has been met with widespread criticism. Students perceive the break as a ploy to weaken the momentum of their protests against the recent hike in tuition fees.
“In response, student are rallying their peers to gather once more, with the intent to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met.”