University of Ibadan Students’ Union Responds to Allegations of Rice Palliative Distribution

Agnes Oyedokun

The University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UISU) has on Thursday issued a statement strongly refuting recent allegations regarding the distribution of rice palliatives intended for Student Union Government (SUG) Presidents across the country.

The claims, allegedly originating from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagements, stated that AWEDA Bolaji Damilola, the President of the UISU, had received a portion of this palliative.

In an official statement released on January 23, 2025, AWEDA Bolaji Damilola, the Students’ Union President, denied the accusations, affirming, “I did not receive any rice palliative as claimed in the document, nor would I accept such distributions for any reason.”

The president continued by emphasising that his administration is focused on addressing the core issues impacting the educational system, rather than engaging with temporary measures like food aid. He stressed the need for resources to be allocated to long-term solutions that tackle systemic challenges within Nigeria’s educational infrastructure.

In his statement, Aweda Bolaji called attention to pressing issues such as the ongoing power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), which has been in a state of darkness for the past 83 days. He urged the federal government to prioritise infrastructure improvements over short-term interventions.

interventions.“Such interventions,” he said, “have always ranked far higher than the need to eat rice and should be addressed as urgently as possible.”

The statement concluded by urging the University of Ibadan community and the public to dismiss the baseless claims, reaffirming the Students’ Union’s commitment to integrity, accountability, and advancing the welfare of students.

“We will continue to champion the interests of the University of Ibadan students while upholding the values we stand for,” Aweda added.