On Wednesday, University of Benin (UNIBEN) students took to the streets, blocking the busy Benin-Ore highway to protest an ongoing power outage on campus. The students, who are just two weeks away from their first semester exams, said the lack of electricity has severely impacted their ability to study.
The power outage is the result of a dispute between the university and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over a significant increase in the electricity bill. The university administration expressed frustration after the BEDC increased the monthly charges from approximately N80 million to between N200 million and N280 million. As a result, the university has been forced to rely on power generators, providing only limited electricity to the campuses and hostels.
“We’ve had only one hour of electricity each day since this started. We’re tired of studying in the dark. We need electricity to prepare for our exams, and the university management needs to resolve this issue,” said John Afolabi, one of the protesting students.
The protest began early in the morning, with students carrying placards and chanting slogans as they blocked the highway. “We won’t leave until something is done. We can’t afford to fail our exams because of the university’s negligence,” said Sarah Osaigbovo, a 300-level student.
The protest caused significant traffic disruptions, leaving many passengers stranded. “I’m supposed to be at work right now, but I’ve been stuck here for hours. I understand the students’ plight, but they need to find a better way to protest,” said a frustrated commuter who wished to remain anonymous.
Despite the rain, the students remained resolute in their protest. UNIBEN spokeswoman Benedicta Ehanire confirmed that the university Senate was in a meeting to find a solution to the issue.
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