By Aduwo, Ayodele
The management team of the University of Ibadan has on Thursday, 15th February, 2024 held a Town-Hall meeting with representatives of the students community.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale noted that the meeting was convened to give chance to the students to bare their minds on worrying issues.
The meeting, which was held at Trenchard Hall, was convened as an avenue to ask questions, and respond to issues raised by the students.
In his introductory remark, Professor Adebowale explained that federal universities in the country were in a transition mode, as many issues were yet unclear.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the Students’ Union leaders for exuding maturity and purposeful student unionism, virtues that he said were worth exporting to other institutions. He also commended the students body for doing well and maintaining peace in spite of the challenges facing them on campus and in the nation.
Professor Adebowale noted that students have continued to excel and win laurels, citing the recent scholarships of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, which attracted 154 nominations from all over the country, as students of the University of Ibadan emerged in the first and third positions, as an example.
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.
Other discussed issues at the meeting included the deplorable state of Halls of Residence; laboratory fees; sexual harassment; Post utme for the physically challenged; use of computer laboratories; and clinical rotation for Physiotherapy students, electricity; water supply; prices of commodities; health services; school fees; Internet facilities; and waste disposal.
During the townhall meeting, a reduction from N400 to N300 per drop was declared to ease transportation within the campus.
In attendance 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; and AUCSF representatives.
