Students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Tuesday protested against the strike embarked upon by their lecturers since December 2013, which has grounded academic activities in the institution.
Hundreds of the students marched to the busy Mokola area of the city, disrupting early morning flow of vehicles and creating a logjam.
Economic activities in the area were also disrupted as traders could not display their wares.
Heavy police presence was visible which perhaps prevented a breakdown of peace in the affected areas.
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The students later hijacked four of the state-owned public transport buses tagged Ajumose shuttle, discharged their passengers and ordered the drivers to drive them back to their campus after about an hour of protest.
The students also took over the back seat of a police van but no clash was witnessed with the security personnel or the public.
Some of the students, who did not give their names, told our correspondent that the government of Oyo State was insensitive towards the plight of the students by not quickening the pace of its negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic.
“We have not gone to the classrooms since December because our lecturers are on strike. They told us that they are fighting on our behalf and that the government has refused to listen to their demands. What we do not understand is how long we will be at home,” said a female student of Mass Communication.
The institution’s Students Union President, Abiola Oladimeji, who addressed the students and the crowd that gathered at the Mokola Square, gave the state government a 24-hour ultimatum to address the demands of the lecturers, promising that the students would take another action to ensure their quick return to the classrooms.
ASUP President in the institution, Segun Philip, told our correspondent on the telephone that there were many issues that the Oyo State Government had ignored despite signing an agreement with the union in 2013.
