Unsolved Controversy: Unilorin Students Face Transport Challenges, Mgt Debunks Blaming State Govrt, Factnews Insists

Esther David, Kwara

 

The University of Ilorin, has disassociated itself from factnews.ng report claiming that the school authorities blamed the Kwara State Government for transportation challenges faced by its students.

 

In a statement by Kunle Akogun, Director, Corporate Affairs, Unilorin said the claim in the report are the wild imagination of the author of the concocted story.

 

Recalled Factnews had reported that the management of Unilorin, in a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs has blamed the transportation challenges in the University on the administration of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

 

In the statement, the management said it is currently engaging the Kwara State Government on the need to conclude the Flyover construction on the Tipper Garage axis of Unilorin Road timely and the provision of more strategic interventions to ease the burden of our students.

 

It was also disclosed that the management is now forced to consider virtual learning to unburden the students of the university, adding that the discomfort is overwhelming as the institution continues to scan for options to mitigate the effect of the bridge construction.

 

Meanwhile, Factnews said though the construction of the flyover was never in the consent of the concerned council, stakeholders had faulted the choice of siting the bridge at the Tipper Garage axis and foretold the discomfort it will breed upon resumption of students. However, State Government went ahead with his decision.

 

As a result of the flyover, students have become overburdened as there were hike in transportation prices while reducing the number of buses plying that axis hence making it a tug of war to gain access to the campus for lectures.

 

According to experts in the construction industry, it was suggested that an expansion of the roads along the University road could have been the perfect solution to traffic along that axis, which many said was bearable compared to present realities caused by the flyover construction.

 

Concerns were also raised about the poor standard of job and lack of compliance with quality assurance procedures by the construction workers at the flyover who are reportedly under pressure to hasten the completion as against safety guidelines by the Kwara state government, having failed to deliver at the initially promised month of November, 2022.

 

Contrastingly, the Management of Unilorin has denounced blaming State Government for the students’ plights regarding the road construction. It described the report of Factnews, as “mischievous misrepresentation of the letters and intent of that press statement.”

 

“The content of our original press statement is very clear and there is nowhere in it that the state government is blamed for the transportation glitch on University Road. That insinuation is in the wild imagination of the author of the factnewsng.com’s concocted story,” the University spokesperson added.

 

“For the avoidance of doubt, the University of Ilorin, as a reputable academic institution, has nothing to do with the politics of Kwara State and nobody should hide under our genuine concern for the welfare and wellbeing of our students to pursue personal agenda.”

 

But students of the institution do not just start facing transportation challenges, PIJAlance had learnt. The transport glitch predates the construction of the Tunde Idiagbon Flyover in Tanke.

 

Factnews has also debunked the claim that it wrote fake news, while reiterating that what was reported was accurately true.

 

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