Flowing from the failure of the Williams' led SUG administration to finding a solution to the lingering transportation crisis roting into the OOU Ago-Iwoye educational system, all eyes were on the Ibogun Man to end the discomfort once and for all.
However, gathering from the spin-offs of events in recent weeks, one may want to start considering a rethink.
Tunde woke up in the early hours of Wednesday to catch up with his 8am lectures. Like many other students who spend based on calculated and detailed budget, he had kept N100 to take him to and fro Ago garage to PS. Unfortunately, he was saddened to see fare increased to N70. Going back home may get him late to class, so he boarded the next bus hoping for a miracle while returning home.
Like Tunde, thousands of other students were victims of the transportation hike on the matriculation day reportedly backed up by the Kempes' led OOU administration.
The SUG President had in press release confirmed that it approved the increment to intrigue drivers to work earnestly on a day when the University will witness an increased population. But a Student's activism group, Coalition of Conscious Students (COCOS) had come out to condemn the SUG describing her actions as a deliberate daylight extortion of Students. However, looking at the circumstances surrounding the increment, is it a justified necessity?
In most Nigerian cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, etc, it is 'normal' for transporters to increase fares on special occasions. This is usually orchestrated by traffic and other challenges associated with Nigerian roads on such occasions. Similarly, it is not out of place to increase transport rates to enhance smooth and easy ride just as the SUG had claimed. But the question is, did the increment solve the lingering transportation crises?
Last we checked, students still had to queue, others struggled for bus while numbers were left at the mercy of their foots on and before the matriculation day. Based on this, we may posit that the increment failed to achieve its purpose. But does that still make it *unnecessary?* ~the writer should review here~
To be continued next week....
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