Students of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday, barricaded the East-West Road and all access routes into the university in protest against an alleged hike in tuition fees.
The protesting students, who carried placards and chanted solidarity songs, disrupted traffic and movement around the institution’s main gate for several hours.
Speaking to Daily Post Nigeria in a telephone interview, the President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Etinosa, distanced the union from the protest.
> “No! We are not part of the protest,” he said. “I have talked to the students and asked them to calm down. I have pushed their complaints to the management. Both sides have put me in the middle. To be very honest, this is tiring.”
When contacted, FUPRE’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh Agbalagba, confirmed the protest but described the protesters as “faceless,” insisting they were not part of the recognised student leadership.
“Those people are not members of the student union leadership. The SUG is not part of what they are doing,” he said.
Prof. Agbalagba explained that discussions on the proposed review of school fees were still ongoing and had not been concluded.
> “We’ve held five meetings with the SUG on the issue of charges, but we have not reached a resolution. During our last meeting, someone leaked an incomplete document online, claiming it reflected the new fees. That is false. We suspended all discussions until after examinations this week,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that he was in Abuja when reports of the road blockade reached him and reiterated that the protest was politically motivated.
“The SUG president already issued a disclaimer, stating he’s not part of what’s happening. The people behind it are faceless. Those trending figures on social media are not from the university. Some individuals are only trying to discredit me,” he alleged.
Agbalagba added that management had maintained an open dialogue with the SUG and would resume talks once examinations conclude.
> “We have followed the proper channel in our dialogue with students. We are meeting again next week to continue discussions,” he said.
He further noted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) might commence a nationwide strike next week, warning that if the current situation is not properly managed, it could worsen tensions on campus.
>“Students will finish their examinations tomorrow. But if we don’t manage this issue properly before ASUU begins its strike next week, we can’t guarantee stability. We are on top of it,” he said.
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