MANAGEMENT CLOSES UNIBEN OVER STUDENTS PROTESTS
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By Sumayyah Olapade
The management of the University of Benin on Thursday halted academic activities indefinitely and ordered the students to vacate their hotels immediately.
Benedicta Ehanire, the institution’s public relations officer, made a statement on Thursday that included this information.
Among other issues, the students protested on Wednesday against the rationing of electricity.
They blocked the Benin-Ore route, resulting in traffic jams and severe hardship for travellers.
On Wednesday, some of the students said that they would not get off the highway until their demands were satisfied.
However, the school’s Senate met with the students on Wednesday to discuss potential solutions to the problem.
It said that the school would be shut down if the talks with the students fail.
In her statement, Ehanire said the unrealistic demands of the students necessitated the action of the management.
The statement read, “Following the refusal of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for 24-hour supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the university’s Senate, the university has shut down academic activities indefinitely.
“Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all the relevant units of the university are to take note and comply.
“However, non-teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shutdown.”
The BEDC PLC recently disconnected the institution due to the over N250 million electricity company bill that was placed on the institution.
The institution was formerly paying N80 million, and it has not been able to afford the new bill, which caused a blackout in the school and brought hardship to the students.
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