UNIBEN shuts down all academic activities weeks before 1st-semester exams over protests
Students and staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) took to the streets of the Edo state capital on Wednesday morning to protest the poor living conditions and lack of electricity on campus.
Following yesterday morning’s protest, the institution’s Senate convened an emergency meeting and termed the students’ actions unfortunate before proceeding to shut down the university.
The Senate voiced its concerns regarding the blockage of a federal highway, which resulted in difficulties for vehicle owners, travellers, and other commuters.
Benedicta Ehanire, the university’s Public Relations Officer, released a statement outlining the Senate’s resolutions and concerns. The statement reads, “The Senate of the University of Benin has held an emergency meeting, following the early morning protest by students of the University.
“While describing the students’ action as unfortunate, the Senate is particularly concerned with the trend whereby the students block the federal highway thus causing hardship to travellers and other commuters.”
“In the meantime, some members of the decision-making body have been mandated to continue with dialogue with the students on their unrealistic demand for 24 hours of electricity supply which they enjoyed before the University was disconnected by BEDC as a result of the disputed monthly bill of over N250 million slammed on the Institution by the electricity company.
“Senate also described the two other complaints by the students about high costs of food and transportation as out of the university’s control.
“Moreover, the Senate of the University resolved that if dialogue with the students fails and the protest persists, it will have no other option than to shut down the Institution.
Poor living conditions in UNIBEN
UNIBEN students who spoke to Neusroom explained that there has not been a power supply on campus for 6 months and the hostels are ‘unliveable.’
The students, who had two weeks until their first-semester examination, said the situation was severely affecting their preparation.
The students also called for a downward review of transport fares by the UNIBEN shuttle service, which was increased with effect from July 1. NAN reports that the university was thrown into a blackout by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) following the inability to reach agreement over contentious electricity billings.
The monthly bill was said to have jumped from about N80 million to between N200 and N280 million, forcing the university to resort to power generators as well as rationalisation of power on the two campuses and hostels.
In a statement seen by Neusroom, the management of UNIBEN explained that the students’ demand for a 1,125-hour supply of electricity was unrealistic. The statement signed by Benedicta Ehanire, the university’s Public Relations Officer also disclosed that all academic activities would be shut down indefinitely with immediate effect.
“Following the insistence of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the university’s Senate, the university has shut down academic activities indefinitely.
However, non-academic staff on essential duties are not affected by the shut-down
