The University of Ibadan (UI) has suspended its planned matriculation for the 2015/2016 academic session earlier scheduled for today.
This followed the protest by non-academic staff unions over non-remittance of deductions and unpaid agreed allowance.
The university had reportedly received a shortfall from federal allocations. It was gathered that the shortfall since November 2015 is now close to N1billion.
The unions mobilised members and shut the gates.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Idowu Olayinka, said the management told all unions that the university is having a shortfall in its personnel cost, making payment of some allowances difficult.
Olayinka said the total personnel cost is about N932million monthly.
The University received N663million in December and N782 million in January and February.
He noted that the allowances being clamoured for by the unions amounted to about N76 million monthly, which is unrealistic in view of the present financial crisis facing the institution.
The VC said some students while trying to flee the orientation venue got injured.
He said it was better to have over 3,500 students safe than going ahead with the matriculation and risking their lives.
The orientation programme for the new students holding at the International Conference Centre was disrupted as the unions stormed the venue and switched off the power supply to the hall.
As the union members moved into the hall, the students, who were seated, were chased out with chairs turned upside down.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Chairman, Wale Akinremi, criticised the administrative style of the management, saying it was not democratic enough.
Although the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not part of the protest, its members were forced to park their vehicles outside the campus and walked to their offices.
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