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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The authorities of The Polytechnic, Ibadan have suspended the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Executive of the institution and postponed the first semester examinations scheduled to commence on Monday, January 9, 2023.
The development followed the protest embarked upon by students of the institution.
The students had earlier on Monday trooped out in their large numbers to protest the increment in the hostel ‘Refusal Fee’ from N5000 to N15,000 and the appointment of a consultant to run the affairs of the institution. The students blocked the main gate of the state secretariat and all the roads leading to Agodi.
But a statement signed by the Registrar of the institution, Mrs Modupe Fawale, described the students’ protest as unwarranted, politically inclined and ill-motivated.
According to the statement, the Students’ Union Executive has no official complain before the management concerning the examination slated to commence on Monday, adding that and their protest to the state secretariat was questionable.
“The Management further noted that the Students’ Union Executive breached the rule of decency by locking all the gates to the Institution, thereby causing unwarranted hardship to their colleagues, staff, host communities, neighbouring University of Ibadan, and to the general public, most especially those that have official transactions with The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
“It is on record that students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, pay one of the lowest tuition fees among their contemporaries in the South West. Payment of tuition has been made flexible and convenient as students pay sixty per cent of the tuition fee during the first semester and pay the remaining 40 per cent during 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 examinations, which is a major academic activity leading to the award of their diploma is ill-advised, politically motivated and of no reasonable value to the students and indeed to the development of education.
“The management is reviewing the situation and will issue a statement on when the suspended examination will commence. 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,” Fawale added.
