The Directorate of Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, suspended the institution’s Student Union and postponed the first semester exam that was due to start today, Monday, January 9, 2023, following the protest by the students.
Students protested the increase in the hostel’s refusal fee on Monday.
A statement from the institution signed by the Registrar, Ms. Modupe Fawale, revealed that the exam had been postponed until further notice and the Student Union suspended indefinitely.
Describing the protest as ill-motivated and politically biased, the management claimed that the student union had not made a formal complaint to the management regarding the exam scheduled to start today.
The Directorate further noted that the Student Union violated the rule of decency by closing all doors leading to the Institution and thereby causing undue hardship to their colleagues, Institution staff, their host communities, the neighboring University of Ibadan, and to the general public at large, especially those who have official transactions with The Polytechnic Ibadan.
The statement read in part: “Students at The Polytechnic, Ibadan are on record to pay one of the lowest tuition fees among their contemporaries in the South West. Tuition payment has been made flexible and convenient as students pay 60 percent of tuition during the first semester and pay the remaining 40 percent during the second semester. The Institution has not increased enrollment in the last two years.
“Protesting in one day that they must sober up and begin their exam, which is one of the major academic activities leading to their diploma, is inadvisable, politically motivated, and therefore of no reasonable value to students and, indeed, for the development of education.
“The Directorate is reviewing the situation and will issue a statement on when the suspended exam will begin. We call on students to return to class and prepare for their exam. We also call on parents and guardians to call their pupils to order”.
