UI lifts ban on students’ unionism, two years after

The senate of the University of Ibadan has lifted the ban placed on students union activities two years after it was imposed.

The decision to lift the ban was reached at the Senate meeting of August 30 during which the Dean of Students, Prof. I. A. Abiona, made a passionate appeal to lift the ban to allow for the conduct of elections of the student body during the 2018/2019 session.

The senate of the institution had on May 30, 2017, suspended students’ union activities until further notice following a protest over the delay in the issuance of digitised identity cards.

In the proposal to lift the suspension, Abiona stated that 140 persons were tried in connection with the protest by the students’ disciplinary committee with some receiving sanctions while others were acquitted.

According to him, the Student Affairs Division will ensure that a purposeful leadership of students emerges by raising the bar of eligibility, organisation of pre-election workshop and post-election leadership retreat for winners.

Abiona noted that most of the former union leaders fingered in the protest had shown enough remorse and had indicated the desire to uphold the rules, regulations and cooperate with the University administration.