OAU students barricade roads over transport crisis

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Tuesday barricaded the busy Ife–Ede road in protest against what they described as an inadequate transportation system on campus.

 

The protest followed growing dissatisfaction with the newly introduced transport arrangement, which replaced commercial buses and motorcycles after the donation of 50 buses and 30 CNG-powered tricycles by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

 

The Students’ Union, in a statement signed by its President, Adelani David, had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the university management, demanding an urgent review of the system and threatening a protest if concerns were not addressed.

 

As early as 7 a.m., students took to the road, blocking vehicular movement and causing heavy gridlock, while chanting solidarity songs such as “Students are tired of walking” and “50 buses not enough for OAU students.”

 

The protest disrupted activities within and around the campus, with staff and visitors forced to seek alternative routes.

 

Speaking with journalists, Adelani said the action was aimed at compelling the management to either increase the number of buses or temporarily reinstate the old transport system.

 

“The demands are simple. The current system is in crisis because the buses are not adequate. Except more buses are added, the shortage will persist,” he said.

 

He added that many students had been forced to trek long distances daily, describing the situation as unacceptable.

 

“We demand that the management bring back the Town-Gboro buses, or ensure that the available buses are enough to serve the student population. Pending that, academic activities should be halted because movement on campus has become extremely difficult,” he stated.

 

The union also raised concerns over other issues, including ongoing renovation of hostels during the academic session and alleged discrepancies in the institution’s e-portal.

 

“There is nowhere to relocate students if hostels are being renovated now. That should be done after the session. Also, the e-portal has issues, including payment for results, which was not the case before,” Adelani added.