BREAKING: Ondo varsity students barricade roads, protest 68-day strike

By Boye Oyeyemi

Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, on Thursday barricaded the university’s main gate and adjoining roads to protest a strike that has kept them away from academic activities for about 68 days.

The protesters, led by the Students’ Union Government, carried placards with inscriptions including “Enough is Enough” and “Every pending graduate, shey na our lives be these?” They called for an urgent resolution of the issues behind the strike and the immediate reopening of the university.

The SUG President, Folagbade Greatness Ayoola, said the students were compelled to protest after repeated efforts to resolve the industrial dispute failed to produce results.

Ayoola said the prolonged closure was causing hardship for students, who continued to meet their financial obligations despite the suspension of academic activities. “We cannot keep silent because we are really facing challenges in our university. We keep hearing promises and pushing for a solution, but nothing concrete has happened. Until the strike is called off, we are not going to back down,” he said.

Similarly, the Students’ Union General Secretary, Oluwatimileyin Amos, said the 68-day closure had created uncertainty, particularly for final-year students whose examinations and graduation plans were being affected.

Amos appealed to the government and other stakeholders to urgently address the issues behind the strike, saying students were caught between staying away and returning to campus without knowing when academic activities would resume. “Students are in a dilemma. They do not know whether to travel or stay back. This has caused a lot of hardship for students, especially the pending graduates,” he said.

Also, the Students’ Senate President, Adebiyi Kehinde, said the union had engaged the university management and other stakeholders over the dispute but had yet to secure a resolution. He urged the government to intervene and facilitate the students’ return to campus.

Similarly, a 500-level student, Ogungbade James, also appealed to the relevant authorities to resolve the outstanding issues, saying this would pave the way for the resumption of academic activities and enable affected students to continue their studies.