Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have barricaded the Ife-Ede road in protest against the inadequate transportation system on campus. The protest began early Tuesday morning, with students singing solidarity songs and diverting traffic.
The Students’ Union had complained of hitches with the new transportation system introduced after the first lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, donated 50 new buses and 30 CNG-powered tricycles to the university. The union claimed the new system is inadequate and demanded that the old system be reinstated or more buses be added.
“The demands are simple,” said Adelani David, president of the Students’ Union. “The present system has a crisis because the buses are not enough. We want the management to bring back the Town-Gboro buses or ensure that the number of buses is enough to cater to the population of the university
The union also berated the university management for attempting to renovate the Awolowo Hall of residence while students are still on session, saying there’s nowhere for students to go. The protest has halted academic activities and vehicular movement on campus.