Hundreds of students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Tuesday staged a mass protest against the recent renaming of the institution by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in honor of the late former governor, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the protest caused widespread disruption along the busy Sango-Eleyele Road in Ibadan, as students took to the streets in large numbers, chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards that read, “We Say No to Name Change,” “Consult Us Before Decisions,” and “Poly Ibadan Stays!”
Governor Makinde had, just a few days earlier, announced that the institution would now be known as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in tribute to Olunloyo, the first Ibadan indigene to govern the old Oyo State.
Olunloyo, a mathematician and political icon, served as governor for a brief period between October and December 1983 during Nigeria’s Second Republic.
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However, students strongly rejected the decision, describing it as sudden and lacking in adequate consultation with key stakeholders, including the student body, staff, alumni, and the general public.
The protesters blocked the main gates of the institution, halting academic and administrative activities. The demonstration later spilled into the streets as students marched to the state secretariat to demand an audience with the governor and press home their call for an immediate reversal of the decision.
“We are not against honoring Dr. Olunloyo, but changing the name of this institution with such historical value should involve proper consultation,” said one of the protesting students. “This decision was imposed on us.”
The protest left many commuters stranded, with heavy traffic gridlock experienced on major routes leading to and from the institution.
As of the time of filing this report, the state government had yet to officially respond to the students’ demands, although security personnel were seen monitoring the situation to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The Polytechnic, Ibadan, established in 1970, is one of the oldest and most prestigious polytechnics in Nigeria and has built a reputation of academic excellence over the decades.