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UNIBEN Students blocking the busy
Benin-Ore Highway in protest |
Students from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) took to the streets on Wednesday, blocking the busy Benin-Ore Highway in protest of a prolonged power outage on campus. With only two weeks left until their first semester examinations, the students expressed frustration over the impact of the blackout on their exam preparations.
Root Cause of the Outage
The
power outage stems from a dispute between the university and the Benin
Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over an electricity bill. The
university has been in darkness following a significant increase in its monthly
electricity charges. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the BEDC
increased the university’s monthly bill by over 200%, from approximately N80
million to between N200 and N280 million. This steep rise forced the university
to rely on power generators and ration electricity across its campuses and
hostels.
Student Reactions
Students
reported receiving only one hour of electricity per day since the issue began.
“We are tired of studying in the dark. We need electricity to read and prepare
for our exams. The university management needs to take responsibility and fix
this issue,” said John Afolabi, one of the protesters.
The Protest
The
protest started early in the morning, with students carrying placards and chanting
slogans as they blocked the highway. Sarah Osaigbovo, a 300-level student at
the Ugbowo campus, stated, “We will not leave until something is done. We can’t
afford to fail our exams because of the university’s negligence.”
The demonstration caused significant traffic disruption, leaving many passengers stranded and unable to reach their destinations.
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