police Monday when students of Olabisi Onabanjo
University, OOU, Ago-Iwoye in Ijebu North Local
Government Area of the State staged a protest
against the institution's decision not to allow
unregistered students write the examination
scheduled to commence Monday.
The students used two of the Student Union
Government buses to block the entrance into the
main campus to prevent staff and other students
from entering.
The protesting students rejected appeals made to
them by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in
charge of Operations, ASP Mohammed Abdulkadri
and the Ijebu Area Commander, Usman Alabi to
shelve the planned action and allow movement in
and
out of the main campus.
The situation caused stampede at the main gate as
police fired tear gas to disperse the students.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that
the school authorities had directed all the students
of the institution to regularise their studentship
with immediate effect.
The regularisation, according to the Vice-
Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya was in line with
the Federal Government's directive through the
National Universities Commission, NUC,
requesting all universities to provide a
comprehensive students' audit within the next six
weeks.
Prof. Adesanya added that the only way to achieve
this is to compile the list of bona fide students who
have been duly registered through payment of
their school fees.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Vice
Chancellor said, "the protesting students were
those who failed to meet the deadline of Friday, 17
May, 2013 to comply with the instruction.
"The deadline has been shifted more than three
times to allow them complete their registration
which some of them refused to do."
In her reaction, the Vice President o the Students
Union Government of the institution, Ajayi
Kikelomo Oyindamola said they have been trying
to resolve the issue of extension of the deadline
with the institution for the past three months.
She explained that the students acknowledged that
the step of the school authorities was
commendable but added that the closure of the
school portal for payment and generation of
receipt made things difficult for them.
Oyindamola added that the SUG even pleaded on
behalf of the affected students who have not paid
their school fees for 2010/2011, 2011/2012, and
2012/2013 academic sessions for more extension
due to the present economic situation in the
country, which did not go down well with the
school's management.
She confirmed that some of the students have
spent up to six years and more in the institution as
a result of their inability to pay the school fees.
According to the Student Union Leader, "it's not
right for students not to register for a particular
session but most of them pay the school fees
themselves and even Ogun State government
makes things difficult by not paying us bursary
allowance."
The SUG leader says teargas was fired by the police
to disperse the protesters, claiming that the police
did not shoot at any student.
The Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of
Operations, Mr. Mohammad Abdulkadri
confirmed that ten suspected rioters have been
arrested and two buses seized from them with no
casuality recorded.
The students who were sent away from the scene
of the protest returned to the Ago-Iwoye township
to regroup and make bonfires along the streets,
which disrupted vehicular movement within the
community.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the State Police Command
spokesman confirmed that no student was killed
and stated
that some students have been arrested and they
were being interrogated.
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