By: IndyPress News Desk 

The House Committee on Disparity, Fairness and Students’ Rights, on Saturday, 25th January, 2025, presented four critical concerns and several recommendations, at the third emergency sitting of the 11th Assembly.

The report was presented by Hon. Nice Linus, Chairperson of the House Committee on Disparity, Fairness and Students’ Rights.

The House Committee on Disparity, Fairness and Students’ Rights was set out to draw reports and recommendations on areas where students find themselves in disadvantaged situations, including but not limited to, persons with disabilities and/or gender discrimination; to examine and address issues related to students’ rights; to review and respond to complaints or violations of students’ rights within the university.

The four concerns which the report highlighted were, “(i) Student Relocation and Hall Access Issues, which concerns students undergoing their IT/PYTP Program; (ii) Awo Ejections (III) Hall Management extortions and subsequent ‘disciplinary actions’ in response to students’ supposed ‘gross disobedience’ – a case study of Damilare Adewunmi, resident of Kuti Hall; (iv) and the underrepresentation of certain categories of students at the Students’ Representative Council level: Students with Special needs.”

Student Relocation and Hall Access Issues – IT/PYTP Program as a Case Study 

According to the committee’s report, students enrolled in the Industrial Training (IT) and Post-Year Training Program (PYTP) have encountered significant challenges.

It was reported that a recent difficulty stemmed from the students’ temporary relocation to Queens Elizabeth II Hall, which was necessitated by the University’s policy.

The report by the committee indicated that all students participating in the IT/PYTP program were instructed to relocate to Queens Hall for accommodation purposes during their training period. Notably, this relocation was implemented without prior notification to the affected students.

The ordeal began when students arrived at Queens Elizabeth II Hall and were asked to pay a N2,700 fee for their stay.

Shortly after, the management announced that the hall would be fumigated, forcing students to vacate the premises.

However, upon attempting to return to their original accommodation at Idia Hall after the fumigation, students were denied entry, leaving them without accommodation and disrupting their studies and training schedules.

The situation escalated, prompting the Vice Chancellor, according to the report, to intervene on behalf of the students.

Following the Vice Chancellor’s visit to Idia Hall, the management agreed to allow the students to re-enter the facility. However, this resolution came with an additional cost, as each student was required to pay an extra N1,000 fee for their stay at Idia Hall.

The Students’ Rights Committee identified three key concerns: the university’s failure to provide prior notice and planning led to significant inconvenience and stress for students, highlighting a breakdown in communication.

Also, relying on Queens Hall as a temporary solution proved inadequate, resulting in displacement and uncertainty for students. The committee observed the inconsistent fees imposed by different halls. This, it noted raises concerns about the clarity and consistency of university policies regarding student accommodation.

To improve the relocation experience for students participating in the IT/PYTP program, the Students’ Rights Committee recommended three key actions.

“The Students’ Union should meet with, or write to the management to table this matter. Efforts should be made towards giving suggestions as to how a better, clear and comprehensive relocation policy can be made; outlining procedures for student relocation, including advance notice periods, communication channels, and alternative accommodation options,” the report reads.

“Establish effective communication strategies to ensure timely and transparent information flow to students regarding accommodation changes, policies, and any unforeseen circumstances. Establish dedicated support services to assist students during relocation processes, offering guidance on accommodation options, financial assistance, and resolving any arising challenges,” the report added.

On Obafemi Awolowo Hall Ejections

Generally, hall managements have been accused of unfairly extorting students through discriminatory fines.

“The nature of these fines is that a whole block gets fined for the undoing of one student; that students get fined simply for ‘angering’ porters, that fines become the only mode of ‘disciplining’ students,” the report reads.

Hall Management Extortions Code-named ‘fines’ – Kuti Hall 

“In recent times, there has been a trend of hall managements extorting students in the form of fines. The nature of these fines is that a whole block gets fined for the undoing of one student; that students get fined simply for ‘angering’ porters, that fines become the only mode of ‘disciplining’ students,” the report reads.

A case in point is Damilare Adewunmi, a Kuti Hall resident, who was evicted for refusing to pay a fine, despite already facing a query for alleged misconduct, the report recounted.

“Damilare Adewunmi, a resident of Kuti Hall, was evicted following his refusal to pay the fine levied on them by the hall warden for vacating the hall late after the management’s order on August 31. According to him, his eviction happened after he was served a letter of query for disrespectful and insubordination, gross disobedience, and assault by the hall warden upon resumption of academic activities, and at the heat of the exam period last semester. We find it unfair that students in Kuti Hall were extorted in the manner it happened on the 31st of August. It is a sorry situation that despite the extortion, a student was still evicted from the hall,” the report reads.

Underrepresentation of certain categories of students at the Students’ Representative Council level

The Students’ Representative Council is often referred to as the most representative organ of the Students’ Union.

The Students’ Rights committee found that certain categories of students were underrepresented in the SRC, including, but not limited to the students with special needs.

The Committee said it met with the President of the students with special needs club, the president of Special Education and the Honourable member who represented their interests in the SRC’s 10th Assembly.

“In the words of the president, persons with special needs are normal people, just like any other person one may perceive as being ‘normal’. The only advantage other students have over them is that the former can make use of all organs of sensory perception perfectly, unlike the latter, who’ll need to rely on other sense organs in the light of the absence of one or more of them,” the report reads.

What Did the UI’SRC 11TH Assembly Approve?

The Students’ Representative Council at its third sitting approved three of the four recommendations, presented by the Students’ Rights Committee.

“Foster an Inclusive Environment: – promote awareness and sensitivity about disabilities among students, staff, and educators. – Encourage peer support and collaboration to reduce stigma and isolation. – Celebrate diversity through events, clubs, and programs focused on inclusivity. – Make provisions for interpreters during SRC sittings, to facilitate inclusivity,” the recommendation noted.

“Ensure Physical Accessibility: That is, a proper seating arrangement for students who wish to observe sittings, to foster political inclination. 3. Encourage Participation in Extracurricular Activities: Sports, arts, and other extracurricular activities at the Students’ Union level could be modified to include students with disabilities,” the report added.

The Committee’s General Recommendations

The committee recommended the need for a new organ, the Students’ Judicial Council, to effect separation of powers in the Union.

“With the rampancy of students’ rights violations and the underperformance of student leaders with regards to responding properly to these issues, it has become imperative that a Students Judicial Council be set up, made up of, and run by students,” the report reads.

“From consultation, it has been discovered that there are judicial councils at faculty and hall levels in the University of Ibadan, including Zik Hall Judicial Council, Kuti Hall Judicial Council and faculty of Law Judicial Council, among others. These Judicial Councils have helped to check the powers of other arms, settle disputes between other arms, and amongst students,” the report stated.

“Furthermore, other varsities have Judicial Councils. For instance, the Federal University of Technology, Akure Students’ Union Government Judicial Council. This Judicial Council has jurisdiction to hear several cases, ranging from misappropriation of funds to assault and battery. This has led to checks and balances amongst the different arms of the SU and between the Student leaders and the students being led. Undoubtedly, the success of the operations of the Judicial Council has led to effectiveness in the Students’ Union. This is evidenced by the successes recorded in the fee hike struggles of 2023 and 2024, as attested to by the general public; as well as internal successes in price regulation, curbing of extortions on campus and off campus, tackling grave insecurity problems off-campus, amongst other things,” the report noted.

“It is of immense necessity that a Judicial Council be set up. The absence of this would see continual of ineffectiveness amongst the leadership and more violations of students’ rights,” the report concluded.

Hon. Nwose-Donatus Nnamdi, representing Lord Tedder Hall of Residence, advised that the general resolution be turned into a bill. The bill is to call for the representation of special students in the Students’ Representative Council.