Vehicular movement was severely disrupted, and commuters were left stranded on Wednesday as students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) blocked the Benin/Ore Highway. The protest was sparked by a power outage affecting the university’s Ugbowo and Ekhewan campuses.
The university plunged into darkness following a dispute with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over electricity billing. The university management expressed frustration over the increase in its monthly electricity bill from N80 million to N280 million, forcing the institution to rely on alternative power generators and implement electricity rationing.
The protest began early in the morning, with students carrying placards and chanting slogans as they blocked the highway.
A protesting student, identified only as John, highlighted the inadequacy of the current electricity supply. “We only have one hour of electricity every day since this issue started. We are tired of studying in the dark. We need electricity to read and prepare for our exams. The university management needs to take responsibility and fix this issue,” he said.
Another student, Sarah, declared, “We will not leave the highway until something is done. We can’t afford to fail our exams because of the university’s negligence.”
The protest also impacted commuters. A driver named Osas expressed his frustration, stating, “If I knew this was going to happen, I would not ply this route because it caused me to lose income and I may not be able to reach my target for the day. I hope the management of the school will address the students’ protest so that this situation can be brought to an end. Many people are also stranded and unable to go to work or their places of business.”
An angry commuter, who declined to give his name, said, “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.”
Despite the rain, the students vowed to continue their protest until the issue was resolved.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Benedicta Ehanire, said a meeting of the Senate was ongoing to address the issue. However, the resolution of the meeting was not available at the time of filing this report.
