The management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has declared a one-week suspension of academic activities. This decision comes in response to recent events, particularly a student protest that occurred on Monday morning.
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The Registrar of the polytechnic, Mrs. Olubunmi Elewodalu, made this announcement in a statement released to the media on Monday evening. She cited the need to address the current circumstances at the institution as the reason for temporarily halting academic activities.
Elewodalu stated, “The temporary suspension of academic activities is a result of the need to address the prevailing circumstances in the polytechnic. The suspension of academic activities will be effective from Monday, October 9, to Friday, October 13, 2023. During this period, all students are directed to stay away from the campus until otherwise directed.”
The students had protested on Monday morning, primarily against the increase in the acceptance fee for newly admitted students and other issues. They gathered at the campus gate, holding placards with various inscriptions, including “#NoToIncrementofTuitionFee,” “#RectorMustGo,” “#ReleaseourResultsASAP,” among others. The protest drew the presence of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Students’ Union President, Babatunde Adelola, explained the reasons for the protest, saying, “We have many reasons to protest. Recently, the school said they were not getting funding from the state government and they needed to generate funds internally, which was why they increased the acceptance fee from N35,000 to N50,500. Aside from the hike in fee, the delay in the release of our result is affecting students.”
He further emphasized, “For instance, those who graduated in the last session have yet to be mobilized for service. I am in HND 2 second semester and I have yet to see the result of the exams I took in HND 1 second semester. This is affecting students because they do not know their academic standing and how well to prepare for the next exams.”
