By Damilare Adeleye
The management of University of Ibadan has directed all students to vacate the campus by 2 pm on Saturday, August 31.
The directive followed a protest held on Friday by the students of the institution over the hike in tuition fees by the institution’s Governing Council.
It was reported that 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.
Meanwhile, in a circular dated August 30, 2024, and obtained on Saturday, the institution’s registrar, G. O. Saliu, directed the students to vacate the school premises by 2 pm on Saturday (today), stating that the school will be shut for three weeks.
According to Saliu, the closure followed the meeting of the university’s management with the leadership of the student union on Friday, August 30, 2024, where the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the Senate approved that the institution be shut for three weeks.
He noted that the directive is effective Saturday, August 31, 2024, till 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, 024.
“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.”
However, according to a statement on Saturday by a media platform in the institution, Union of Campus Journalists, the students have resolved to reconvene and resume their peaceful protest until their demands are met.
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.”