Ibadan poly students protest epileptic power supply

The institutions generator went bad.

Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan , on Monday protested the epileptic power supply in the school.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the students, who protested for over two hours, paralysed human and vehicular movements.

The aggrieved students rendered anti-government slogans and barricaded all entrances leading into the institution.

Those who spoke on condition of anonymity said the epileptic power supply being experienced at the main campus of the institution should be addressed to ensure smooth academic activities.

“Power supply has been so terrible in the school recently. We stated our plight to the authorities.

“We have been experiencing perpetual darkness at nights in the school since they carried out repair work on the generator.

“We complained that the situation should be addressed because it is inimical to our career as students.

“This is an academic environment and we should be given some comfort,” an angry student said.

But Soladoye Adewole, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, said efforts were on to ameliorate the situation.

“We all know that power generation is a critical issue in the country.

“We generate light privately for four hours a day to students between 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. and between 8.00 p.m. and 10.00 p.m.

“We started having problems with students when the power generating set went bad.

“The generator requires overhauling and it is taking time to put it in order,” he said.

Mr. Adewole said there was no cause for the protest since there was an effective means for the students to channel their grievances.

“We once gave them phone numbers of principal officers so that they can always make complaints and cross-check facts from the school’s authorities as occasion demands.

“We understand that the students were not happy about the situation but the matter should have been tabled rather than engaging in a protest.

“The school’s authorities addressed the students and it was agreed that the school should make light available between 6.00 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily,” Mr. Adewole said.

(NAN)