The University of Benin (UNIBEN) Senate has suspended academic activities indefinitely following a protest by students over prolonged power outages on campus. The students, who blocked the busy Benin-Ore Highway on Wednesday, are demanding a 24-hour electricity supply, which the university management has labeled as “unrealistic”.
In a statement released on Thursday, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, announced that “following the refusal of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the University’s Senate, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely”.
The students, who are preparing for their first-semester examinations in two weeks, have been severely affected by the power outages, which have hindered their studies. The university management, however, has maintained that the students’ demands are unrealistic, leading to the shutdown.
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The statement instructed students to “vacate the hostels immediately” while non-teaching staff and staff on essential duties are exempt from the shutdown. The university has promised to resume academic activities once the situation is resolved.
The full statement reads:
“UNIBEN SHUTS DOWN ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES INDEFINITELY.
Following the refusal of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the University’s Senate, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely.
Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all the relevant units of the University are to take note and comply.
However, non-teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shutdown.
Signed:
Benedicta Ehanire, Ph.D, snipe
DR/ PRO
4/7/24”
