Hundreds of students of the D. S. Adegbenro Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State, on Wednesday, blocked the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway in protest.
The protest caused gridlock and left many travellers stranded for hours on the road.
We gathered from our undisclosed sources that the students were protesting against the management of the institution and also blocked the school gate and prevented lecturers and other workers from entering or exiting the campus.
An eyewitness told Oguntoday that the few lecturers and other staff members, who got to the campus early, were confined to the premises.
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“The students didn’t allow anyone to enter, except those who came to the campus early,” our source said.
Another source told us that the students were protesting the inability of some of their colleagues to sit ongoing exams.
The source said the management prevented some students from taking the exams on Tuesday for not meeting up the 75 per cent lecture attendance.
It was learnt that the protest turned violent as the protesters reportedly threatened to attack the police.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Yinka Adegbite, confirmed the incident.
He said the management was making moves to resolve the matter.
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But, it was however gathered that attempts by the acting Rector to calm the students failed as they ignored his pleas.
They reportedly asked for a particular lecturer, who they claimed prevented them from sitting the exams.
It was gathered that before the students vacated the road, the management agreed to suspend the exams and relax other policies in the interest of peace.
Oguntoday learnt that representatives of the Department of State Services and the police held a marathon meeting with the representatives of the students and the management of the institution to promote peace.
Rising from the meeting, Adegbite told our correspondent that the management and the students’ representatives had signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
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Adegbite said the issues that led to the protest had been resolved and that the suspended exams would continue on Friday.
The PRO added that the management observed that the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, who made it turn violent.
He stated, “Yes the protest has been halted. Things are under control; the management and the representatives of the students’ body have discussed the issues.
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“Controversies were raised and the students have agreed to resume their exams on Friday.
“One of the agreements is that they will retake the exam they could not take on Tuesday.
“The NBTE policy is that students should have up to 75 per cent attendance in order to strengthen their performance.”
