UI students’ protest paralyses commercial activities

IBADAN — STUDENTS of the University of
Ibadan, yesterday, paralysed commercial
activities in the ancient city when they
moved out of campus to protest Federal
Government's alleged insensitivity to
myriad of problems in education sector.
The angry students went on a peaceful
protest to major streets in the city with
various placards with inscriptions such as
'Nigeria: Giant or Dwarf of Africa,'
'Education is dead in Nigeria,' 'Adieu to
education sector in Nigeria,' among
others.
During the protest that lasted for hours,
vehicular movements were paralysed as
motorists going to places like Mokola,
Dugbe, Ilorin and other northern parts of
the country could not.
As a result, commuters, transporters and
passengers groaned while trekking long
distances.
The students called for the resignation of
the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu
Rufai.
The protest was supervised by Divisional
Police Officer of Sango, Mrs. Olufunmilayo
Akinfenwa, who ensured that hoodlums
did not hijack it.
Led by SUG President UI, Babatunde
Badmus, the students in a communiqué
read during the protest, complained
about unnecessary establishment of more
tertiary institutions in Nigeria while the
available ones suffer neglect.
They also called for modernisation of
decayed facilities and obsolete style of
teaching in tertiary institutions in Nigeria
in the best interest of the future of the
nation and Nigerians.
"While politicians like Chief Obafemi
Awolowo spent so much on education our
president today, is non-chalant to the
extent that he takes pride in jetting out
while pressing national issues that need
his attention arise. Ruqayyatu Rufai
should resign if she lacks the clue to the
problem in the education sector.
"They take their children out of the
country to private universities and cripple
public universities in order to deprive the
children of the masses right to education.
We shall resist this attempt," the student
union leader said.