Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun, have declared a 72-hour lecture boycott in protest against transportation difficulties on campus. The decision, reached at a Students’ Union congress, was conveyed in a statement jointly signed by Union president Adelani Oluwatodimu, secretary Habeeb Isa and public relations officer Olowosile Oreoluwa.
- +OAU Students’ Union grounds academic activity over transport failures
According to the union, the boycott will run from Tuesday, April 14 to Thursday, April 16, during which all academic activities will be suspended.
According to the union, the boycott will run from Tuesday, April 14 to Thursday, April 16, during which all academic activities will be suspended. The university management had acknowledged receiving 50 buses and 30 tricycles donated by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and appealed to students to be patient while the vehicles are being deployed.
The students, however, decried what they described as an inadequate transport system, citing a shortage of operational vehicles, overcrowding, and insufficient drivers as major challenges affecting campus mobility. They demanded an immediate increase in the number of vehicles to serve the more than 35,000 members of the university community.
Furthermore, the union called for an immediate return to the previous transport arrangement until the current system is strengthened. They also demanded proper implementation of the new transport scheme to ensure it is affordable, reliable, and efficient, insisting that the Students’ Union must be fully consulted before further changes are introduced. The union leadership will review the situation at the end of the 72-hour boycott. They warned that further actions may lead to mass protests if the management fails to address the demands satisfactorily within the period.
