The student leaders have an "over-bloated image of themselves" - VC

The Vice Chancellor insists that shutting down the school was a measure to protect the lives of the students of the University.

Speaking with the Guardian, the Professor said:

“How do you describe a situation in which a 200-level student is asking the VC to come and apologise to him? Is it morally right for a student to be describing the VC as a disgrace? I was a student in this same university about 40 years ago.

I still have some of my lecturers on the payroll of the university. I dare not disrespect them. In those days, you could not even look at an assistant lecturer eye-ball to eye-ball. But today, some of our mighty students want the VC to prostrate for them.”

According to the VC, the students' character is "un-African", as they are expected to respect their elders.

The ID Card problem.

About this, the Professor said:

“We suggested that they could use their library identity card, course form or clinic identity card as a means of identification to write the exams, they kept threatening that they would not write the exams unless the identity card was produced. And, I am not a magician that will produce 30, 000 cards in a day.”

In a press conference, the Student Union Leader, Ojo Aderemi said about the VC's allegetions:

“Contrary to the widely-circulated, but falsely concocted story of the much-respected Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan that I insulted him at a congress, the only time I spoke at the said event was to deliver my speech, and no part where I either directly mentioned the VC or impliedly insulted him, his personality or his office.”

On the VC alleging that the students were unruly, he said:

“The generality of students in UI are law-abiding, peaceful but conscious; we are not rascals who always seek to fight, but radicals who will always fight, not merely to be right, but for our rights. It was resolved at our congress that the student identity card must be received before examinations commence. Not only have we paid for our ID cards for three sessions now, we have been patient with the management but this has led to serious security harassment from members of the Nigerian Police Force outside the university environment.

“Many of our members have even lost credible scholarship and grant opportunities just because they could not identify themselves properly as students.”