Vehicular movement came to a standstill, and commuters were left stranded on Wednesday as students from the University of Benin staged a protest, blocking the Benin/Ore highway. The demonstration was sparked by a power outage affecting the institution’s Ugbowo and Ekhewan campuses in Benin.
The university has been without electricity due to a dispute with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company over what is perceived as contentious electricity billing. The university management expressed frustration over the increase in the institution’s monthly electricity bill from N80 million to N280 million, prompting them to rely on alternative power generators and rationing power across the two campuses.
The protest began early in the morning, with students holding placards and chanting slogans as they blocked the highway. John, a protesting student, highlighted the inadequacy of the current electricity supply, stating, “We only have one hour of electricity every day since this issue started. 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.”
Another student, Sarah, voiced her determination, saying, “We will not leave the highway until something is done. We can’t afford to fail our exams because of the university’s negligence.”
The protest also affected motorists. Osas, a driver, expressed his frustration, saying, “If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have used this route. It has caused me to lose income, and I may not be able to reach my target for the day. I hope the management addresses the students’ protest so that this situation can be resolved. Many people are also stranded and unable to go to work or their places of business.”
An irate commuter, who chose to remain anonymous, shared his frustration, “I’m supposed to be at work right now, but I’ve been stuck here for hours. I understand the students’ plight, but they need to find a better way to protest.”
Despite the rainfall, the students remained resolute, vowing to continue their protest until the issue is resolved. When contacted, Benedicta Ehanire, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, confirmed that a Senate meeting was ongoing to address the problem.
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