Transportation: OAU Students Boycotts Lectures For 72 Hours

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife (Osun State have embarked on 72-hour boycott of lectures to protest transportation challenges on the university campus.

The university authorities have restricted public commercial buses from operating within the campus since the 50 buses and 30 tricycles donated by Senator Oluremi Tinubu took charge of transportation within the campus.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP on Tuesday, the OAU students union president, Comrade David Adelani, who confirmed the development noted that the buses donated by the First Lady to shuttle the campus were not sufficient for the over 35,000 students.

While commending Mrs Tinubu for her kind gesture, Adelani said the students were not against the shuttles system but insisted that the 50 buses and 30 tricycles cannot sufficiently serve the student populace.

According to him, before the arrival of the donated vehicles, 200 buses and 465 motorcycles were registered with the management and were working pleading with the management to allow them to operate alongside the new buses for conveniency sake.

Reacting, the university public relations officer (PRO), Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, charged the students to be reasonable with the 72 hours lecture boycott.

He appealed to the students to get back to classes adding that the management will look at their grievances because we are in a democratic set up.

Defending the situation on ground, Olarewaju said that the students needed to exercise patience because there is no urban set up that will not experience ‘rushing hour.’

He added that as soon as the rushing hour’ was over, things will return to normalcy adding that as he speaks with LEADERSHIP, a lot of buses were at the gate waiting for passengers.