Skip to main content

BREAKING: Ogun Private University Suspends 17 Students For Demanding Water, Electricity In Hostel

Our voices are being suppressed by the university’s management. They treat us as babies and don’t even allow us to express our frustrations.

At least 17 students of Southwestern University, Okun-Owa under Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, have been suspended for demanding clean water and stable electricity supply in their hostels.

The management of the private university handed a six-week suspension to each of the 400 level students for having the guts to voice out their frustration despite warnings from the authorities.

Image

The chancellor of the institution, Babatunde Odufuwa, who doubles as chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos City Polytechnic and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos City Computer College, SaharaReporters gathered, had earlier threatened to suspend any student who spoke against the school or demanded certain rights.

“Our voices are being suppressed by the university’s management. They treat us as babies and don’t even allow us to express our frustrations.

“Just for demanding clean water and improved electricity supply in the hostels, the Vice-Chancellor ordered the suspension of 17 students who are in 400 level.

“This is total oppression and high-handedness on the part of the school management. Are they expecting us to keep quiet when we are suffering?

“The entire country needs to know the barbaric treatment students of Southwestern University are being subjected to. It is a shame for a private university to be run in this manner,” one of the affected students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters on Monday.

Another suspended student of the school, who confirmed that the school’s management accused them of protesting on campus and inciting others against constituted authority, disclosed that they only demanded basic amenities in their hostels and never violated any law.

“We only made a demand for basic amenities we should be entitled to but the school management changed the story to claim that we embarked on a protest to cause chaos on campus.

“Just because we spoke out about our suffering, they suspended each of us for six weeks. As far as I am concerned, this is the height of draconian rule,” the aggrieved undergraduate said.

When contacted by SaharaReporters over the issue on Monday, a female official of the university, who answered the telephone line of the school, confirmed the incident but directed our correspondent to be in touch with the spokesperson, Mr Aderoju, for further details.

However, calls and a text message sent to the man on the matter were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.