Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, took to the streets on Tuesday in large numbers to protest Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent decision to rename the institution after a former governor, the late Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo.
The protest caused significant disruption along the busy Sango-Eleyele Road in Ibadan, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded as demonstrators blocked the main entrance gates to the institution and barricaded sections of the road.
The renaming, announced a few days ago, officially changed the institution’s name to Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of Olunloyo, who was the first Ibadan native to serve as governor of the old Oyo State, albeit for a brief period between October and December 1983.
As a result of the protest, not only were commuters and residents caught in traffic gridlock, but many staff members of the polytechnic were also unable to access the campus.
In response to the unfolding situation, the Oyo State Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA), through its Executive Chairman, Maj. Adekoya (Rtd.), issued a statement advising motorists to seek alternative routes.
“The general public is hereby informed of an ongoing student protest at The Polytechnic Ibadan main gate. The road in front of the institution has been temporarily closed,” the statement read.
Motorists travelling towards Eleyele, Apete, Ijokodo, and adjoining areas from Sango, and those coming from the opposite direction, were urged to divert via Dugbe, Mokola, or Ajibode to avoid delays and possible confrontations.
OYRTMA appealed for patience and cooperation from road users, urging them to remain calm and adhere to traffic diversions until normalcy is restored.
