UI lifts ban on Students Union activities after 2 years

After a two-year-long suspension, the management of the University of Ibadan has lifted its ban on Students’ Union activities.

In May 2017, PREMIUM TIMES reported on the university’s suspension of the Students’ Union and its leaders.

According to the authorities, the union was proscribed due to the misdemeanours of its leaders.

Speaking about the ban, authorities accused the Ojo-Aderemi-led Students’ Union of disrupting academic activities by leading a massive protest against the non-issuance of Identity (ID) Cards, condemning the ‘unruly behaviour’ of the president.

Considering the aforementioned amidst other allegations, the Senate of UI recommended the suspension of the union after hours of deliberations.

“That the activities of the Students’ Union Executive Council (SUEC) and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) be suspended until further notice,” the press release on the university website stated.

Before now, all efforts aimed at demanding the reinstatement of the union proved abortive as the Vice-Chancellor, Idowu Olayinka, said the time was not ripe when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him in 2018.

He added that the union could not be reinstated as the university calendar had not been confirmed.  

Reinstatement

Now, it appears the school has had a change of heart as it intends to announce the reinstatement of the student union on Monday, a reliable source in the senate revealed.

Speaking with this correspondent on Friday evening, Mr Olayinka confirmed the development, explaining that the suspension was lifted during a Senate meeting.

Corroborating this story, the school’s spokesperson, Tunji Oladejo, told PREMIUM TIMES that the school is ready to conduct leadership training after the election.

“We are ready to work with the crop of new leaders so as to move the university forward,” he noted.