The management of the University of Ibadan has held a Town-Hall meeting with representatives of the students.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, said the meeting was convened to enable the students bare their minds on vexatious issues.
The meeting, which was held in Trenchard Hall, was therefore devoid of any formalities. Questions were asked, and issues were raised by the students to which answers and explanations were provided by the relevant officers of the University.
Professor Adebowale explained that federal universities were in a transition mode, and many issues were yet unclear.
He, however, commended the student union leaders for exuding maturity and purposeful student unionism, virtues that he said were worth exporting to other institutions.
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The Vice-Chancellor also commended the students body for doing well and maintaining peace in spite of the challenges facing them on campus and in the nation.
He noted that the students continued to excel and win laurels. He cited the recent scholarships of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, which attracted 154 nominations from all over the country, and the students of the University of Ibadan emerged in the first and third positions.
Professor Adebowale said such news gladens the heart added to which was the newly released Times Higher Education ranking, which placed UI in the first position in Nigeria and number seven in Africa.
Professor Adebowale stated further that students are important components and stakeholders in the university system, and the University Management appreciates this fact.
He recalled that the Federal Government had handed off issues of accommodation for over 20 years, but the management had kept open the Halls of Residence and had even gone further to enter into 18 Build-Operate-and Transfer hostel agreements to ensure that the students are kept on campus.
Issues discussed at the meeting included the Halls of Residence; laboratory fees; sexual harassment; Post utme for the physically challenged; use of computer laboratories; and clinical rotation for Physiotherapy students.
Other issues included electricity; water supply; prices of commodities; health services; school fees ; Internet facilities; and waste disposal.
A reduction from N400 to N300 per drop was approved to ease transportation within the campus.
The students’ bodies were represented by members of the Students Union Executive Committee led by the President, Mr Tobiloba Samuel; functionaries and members of the Students Representative Council; Hall Chairpersons; Faculty Executive Committee members; members of the Students Press; a representative of the physically challenged students; representatives of Off-Campus students; MSS Amir; AUCSF and other students.
