The Senate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), following a meeting, labelled the ongoing protest by students as regrettable and warned that the institution may be closed if attempts to engage in dialogue with the students are unsuccessful.
Naija News reported earlier that students from the Ugbowo campus of the institution, took to the busy Ugbowo-Lagos Expressway on Wednesday to protest the ongoing lack of electricity and water in their hostels.
It was gathered that the demonstration aimed to pressure the university management into restoring reliable electricity and water supplies to student accommodations.
The students also voiced their discontent over a recent hike in intra-campus shuttle bus fares.
The university has been plunged into darkness due to unresolved billing disputes with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
However, the Senate voiced worries about the closure of the federal highway, which resulted in inconvenience for vehicle owners, travellers, and other road users.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, released the Senate’s decision in a statement on Wednesday evening.
The statement said: “The Senate of the University resolved that if dialogue with the students fails and the protest persists, it will have no other option but to shut down the institution.
The Senate expressed its disappointment over the students’ actions and emphasized its worry about the recurring issue of students obstructing the federal highway, leading to inconvenience for travellers and other road users.
It was mentioned that certain individuals within the Senate had been assigned to engage in further discussions with the students regarding their impractical request for a round-the-clock electricity supply, a service they had previously enjoyed before the university’s disconnection by BEDC due to a contentious monthly bill exceeding N250 million imposed on the institution by the electricity provider.
The Senate also described the two other complaints by the students about high costs of food and transportation as out of the university’s control.
The Senate, however, praised the institution’s administration for the various measures implemented to guarantee the students’ well-being despite the challenging circumstances in the country.
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