Mass Student Protest in UNILAG

Monday's early downpour did not deter the protesters.

Students from different tertiary institutions yesterday stormed the University of Lagos (UNILAG) over the rustication of 11 students of the school.

The mass protest was held under the platform of “Save UNILAG Coalition” comprising the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Alliance of Nigerian Students against Neoliberal Attacks (ANSWER), the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) Students Union Government (SUG), Education Rights Campaign (ERC), the Students and Youth Activist Support Initiative (SYASI), United Action for Democracy UAD, the Nigeria University Education Students Association (NUESA) and a host of other civil societies.

Two of them were injured as the Sabo Police Division attempted to stop them from entering the school.

The Save Unilag Coalition Secretary, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the rusticated students were only expressing their feelings about the condition of the university hostel.

Sanyaolu said: “Between April 6 and 8 last year, UNILAG students protested bad welfare condition on the campus. Even a chicken cannot survive in that school hostel for a week and yet you put human beings there. You stock 20 of them despite paying N26,000 for accommodation fee in a rat hole you call a hostel. That was the condition these students protested against. Instead of listening to the demands of these students, they rusticated 11 of them and subsequently disbanded the students’ union. We cannot continue to run a university like a prison camp and expect a meaningful development. Therefore these students who are not criminals should be reinstated with immediate effect.

Addressing the students, the Dean of Students Affairs Prof Ademola Adeleke said he would take their petition to the school management.

UNILAG Deputy Registrar, Information Unit, Mr Toyin Adebule, said “This is to inform the general public that the University of Lagos students are not protesting. The gathering outside the university gate consists of rusticated students and allies. They have challenged the university in court and the case has been struck out. Let me assure you that lectures are ongoing without any form of disruption.”

Source: The Nation