Images: OAU pupils block highways amid commuting difficulties

The students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, took to the streets on Tuesday morning, blocking the busy Ife-Ede road to express their dissatisfaction with the university's transportation system.

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This move came after the introduction of a new transportation system, which was made possible by the donation of 50 new buses and 30 CNG-powered tricycles by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady of Nigeria, aimed at replacing the regular commercial buses and motorcycles on campus.

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The Students' Union, led by president Adelani David, had previously complained about the inadequacy of the new system, calling for a 72-hour boycott and threatening to protest if the school management did not allow a combination of the old and new transportation systems until more buses were provided.

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As early as 7am on Tuesday, students had already barricaded the Ife-Ede road, causing a gridlock and disrupting vehicular movement in and out of the campus, with some students singing solidarity songs such as "Students are tired of walking" and "50 buses not enough for OAU students".

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The protest resulted in members of staff and other individuals being denied access to the campus, forcing them to take alternative routes, while students continued to voice their demands for a more efficient transportation system.

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According to Adelani David, the union's president, the protest aimed to push the school management to either provide more buses or allow the old and new transportation systems to co-exist, emphasizing that the current system was insufficient and would continue to cause problems without additional buses.

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David stated, "The demands are simple, we need adequate vehicles for the new transport system or allow the old and new ones to co-exist, and until more buses are added, the shortage will persist despite management's efforts to bring in coastal buses".

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The union's president further emphasized that the situation was worsening weekly, and that the management should bring back the Town-Gboro buses or ensure that the number of buses was sufficient to cater to the university's population, and pending that time, all academic activities should be halted due to the lack of transportation on campus.

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David also criticized the university management's decision to renovate the Awolowo Hall of residence during the school session, arguing that there was nowhere for students to go, and that renovation should be postponed until after the session.

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The union also called on the management to resolve discrepancies with the school's e-portal, which was renovated, citing issues such as the requirement to pay for results, which was not previously necessary.