Academic activities were disrupted at The Polytechnic in Ibadan on Monday as its students protested against what they described as unjust N500 Entrepreneurship Development Programme levy.
The students, whose action resulted in the shutting of the school’s main gate, also complained about lack of electricity and water on campus.
President of the Student Union Government, Iyiola Oladimeji, who addressed the students after a meeting with the management of the institution, said there was no reason for the charge.
He said, “We are protesting because of some misunderstanding between the management and the students. We do not want payment of extra charges on EDP, which has been unproductive. The students are complaining that the charges are too much and that the conditions on campus are not conducive for learning because we do not have stable electricity and water supply. We have been experiencing these for years now.”
The school’s Public Relations Officer, Adewole Oladoye, however cautioned the students, saying that inadequate power supply was not limited to the school.
“The Polytechnic Ibadan is not from another planet. It is also part of the Nigerian society. I dare to say that none of us is having regular electricity supply in our homes. These students are individuals from different homes and what they are experiencing here is not different from what they are facing in their various homes,” he said.
He added that the management was working on an arrangement that would ensure constant electricity in the hostels and that the money charged for EDP was justifiable.
“In spite of all the shortcomings, management has agreed on regular electricity to them for one hour before they leave their hostels and of course two hours at night. During that period, we will be able to pump water. If you go to the street to learn tailoring, or to learn to be a mechanic, how much is it? The polytechnic is not a profit-making venture. We won’t extort students,” he said.
But the union president later said the protest would be suspended because of a truce with the management.
He said, “The management has agreed on a consensus that they will subsidize the EDP log book for N300 for us and that those that have paid N500 before, the money will be refunded”.
