Main PageOSUSTECH Students Lock Down School During Protest
Students of the Ondo State University of Science and
Technology (OSUSTECH) has locked down the
university during a protest that has been ongoing
since Monday this week. The students blames the
state government for poor conditions of the
institution.
The aggrieved students, numbering about 700 have
been protesting since Monday, preventing workers
from getting into the institution.
The protest, escalated on Tuesday as the students
caused gridlock along Okitipupa/Igbokoda road,
preventing human and vehicular movement.
A 200 leveled student, Omotola Benson, who spoke
with The Nation at Okitipupa based the students
grievances on exorbitant school fees, payment of ICT
fees without the facilities, neglect of the University by
the government and non-payment of the staff salary.
Benson explained that, "indigenes of the state who
are students of the University pay N125,000 as
schools fees, while non-indigenes pay N175,000. We
are paying N20,000 without having access to internet
in the school and our workers are being owned three
months salary".
Already, the National Association of Nigerian
Students, Joint Campus Committee (NANS JCC) Ondo
State axis led by its Chairman, Odunayo Kowe had
last week written an appeal letter to the State
Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, shortly after visiting the
institution.
A copy of the letter which was made available to The
Nation reads, "We write, to express our grief,
disappointment, and fear for our future as it bleaks
owing to the deplorable negligent state,
maltreatment and insecurity that encapsulates this
pragmatic citadel of learning, and it is our fear that
should we keep quiet, the future we anticipate may
never come. During this visit, your Excellency, we
were able to gather the following:
"That the members of staff of the institution have not
received salary for three months now and that this
has resulted in the lackadaisical attitude of the
lecturers towards their work, thus impeding the
reasons for Nigerian Students coming to school. This
is quite appealing sir.
"That a whole University of Technology in the 'best'
state in Nigeria cannot boast of a single motor able
road since its inception, this is alarmingly sardonic
sir! Report shows that the road has been neglected
since the inception of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko's
administration in 2011.
"That if a nation cannot pass education on to its
generation, it is quite evident that it will soon die a
natural death. It is heart-seizing, your excellency, that
in a state where school fees is expected to be
subsidized, being an oil producing state in Nigeria,
the students in such school where even the oil is
being generated to feed the nation, pay N 125,000
and N 175,000 as school fees for indigene and non
indigene respectively whereas in Adekunle Ajasin
University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, Rufus Giwa
Polytechnic, Owo, RUGIPO and other citadels of
higher learning in the state pay less. Is this not a rape
on our fundamental human right?
"That no fewer than 50 students complained about
the service rendered at the Health Centre as being
substandard and uncalled for. During our inspection,
it was disheartening to see the Health Centre of a
whole university in shambles and lack the
requirements of a First Aid Box let alone that of a
Health Centre. This calls for urgent attention.
"That the whole university is subjected to total
darkness amidst substandard and dilapidated
infrastructure in a thick forest-like environment
where wild animals become the neighbors of
dynamic Nigerian students. The Sports Complex is a
similitude of game reserve, all these happening in a
school where students pay sport fee yet denied
access to it.
"We also gathered that the management has
painstakingly resulted to fueling the school generator
so as to power the university's power plant since
2011. The hostel facility is another lugubrious issue
to address. The hostel we met under construction in
the school is a sample of hide-out for bandits,
therefore does not worth housing the future leaders
of this country.
"We want to say that such environment is prone to
absorbing dangerous animals and men of the elusive
world that could become a threat to the lives and
properties of the students and the community at
large.6. That the students are forced to pay N 20,000
for internet fee that they never had access to.
"They pay N3,500 for I.D Card that is even lower in
quality than its N200 equivalent. All these and more
among other exorbitant levies are imposed on the
students which calls for urgent attention. Imagine a
university where development levy is paid and yet
could not be dignified as its name implies-
'university'. Are we in a glorified secondary school"?
The students' body urged the government to focus
more on the institution by responding to the
demands of the students.
However, it was learnt that Mimiko will be addressing
the aggrieved students later in the evening at the
school campus.
All efforts to speak with the State Commissioner for
Education, Mr. Jide Adejuyigbe proved abortive as all
phone lines were unavailable as at the time of filing
this report.
But, a staff at the Ministry of Education who
preferred anonymity said government was not
neglecting the institution, saying the government is
doing his best to ensure the university is put in the
best shape.
Technology (OSUSTECH) has locked down the
university during a protest that has been ongoing
since Monday this week. The students blames the
state government for poor conditions of the
institution.
The aggrieved students, numbering about 700 have
been protesting since Monday, preventing workers
from getting into the institution.
The protest, escalated on Tuesday as the students
caused gridlock along Okitipupa/Igbokoda road,
preventing human and vehicular movement.
A 200 leveled student, Omotola Benson, who spoke
with The Nation at Okitipupa based the students
grievances on exorbitant school fees, payment of ICT
fees without the facilities, neglect of the University by
the government and non-payment of the staff salary.
Benson explained that, "indigenes of the state who
are students of the University pay N125,000 as
schools fees, while non-indigenes pay N175,000. We
are paying N20,000 without having access to internet
in the school and our workers are being owned three
months salary".
Already, the National Association of Nigerian
Students, Joint Campus Committee (NANS JCC) Ondo
State axis led by its Chairman, Odunayo Kowe had
last week written an appeal letter to the State
Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, shortly after visiting the
institution.
A copy of the letter which was made available to The
Nation reads, "We write, to express our grief,
disappointment, and fear for our future as it bleaks
owing to the deplorable negligent state,
maltreatment and insecurity that encapsulates this
pragmatic citadel of learning, and it is our fear that
should we keep quiet, the future we anticipate may
never come. During this visit, your Excellency, we
were able to gather the following:
"That the members of staff of the institution have not
received salary for three months now and that this
has resulted in the lackadaisical attitude of the
lecturers towards their work, thus impeding the
reasons for Nigerian Students coming to school. This
is quite appealing sir.
"That a whole University of Technology in the 'best'
state in Nigeria cannot boast of a single motor able
road since its inception, this is alarmingly sardonic
sir! Report shows that the road has been neglected
since the inception of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko's
administration in 2011.
"That if a nation cannot pass education on to its
generation, it is quite evident that it will soon die a
natural death. It is heart-seizing, your excellency, that
in a state where school fees is expected to be
subsidized, being an oil producing state in Nigeria,
the students in such school where even the oil is
being generated to feed the nation, pay N 125,000
and N 175,000 as school fees for indigene and non
indigene respectively whereas in Adekunle Ajasin
University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, Rufus Giwa
Polytechnic, Owo, RUGIPO and other citadels of
higher learning in the state pay less. Is this not a rape
on our fundamental human right?
"That no fewer than 50 students complained about
the service rendered at the Health Centre as being
substandard and uncalled for. During our inspection,
it was disheartening to see the Health Centre of a
whole university in shambles and lack the
requirements of a First Aid Box let alone that of a
Health Centre. This calls for urgent attention.
"That the whole university is subjected to total
darkness amidst substandard and dilapidated
infrastructure in a thick forest-like environment
where wild animals become the neighbors of
dynamic Nigerian students. The Sports Complex is a
similitude of game reserve, all these happening in a
school where students pay sport fee yet denied
access to it.
"We also gathered that the management has
painstakingly resulted to fueling the school generator
so as to power the university's power plant since
2011. The hostel facility is another lugubrious issue
to address. The hostel we met under construction in
the school is a sample of hide-out for bandits,
therefore does not worth housing the future leaders
of this country.
"We want to say that such environment is prone to
absorbing dangerous animals and men of the elusive
world that could become a threat to the lives and
properties of the students and the community at
large.6. That the students are forced to pay N 20,000
for internet fee that they never had access to.
"They pay N3,500 for I.D Card that is even lower in
quality than its N200 equivalent. All these and more
among other exorbitant levies are imposed on the
students which calls for urgent attention. Imagine a
university where development levy is paid and yet
could not be dignified as its name implies-
'university'. Are we in a glorified secondary school"?
The students' body urged the government to focus
more on the institution by responding to the
demands of the students.
However, it was learnt that Mimiko will be addressing
the aggrieved students later in the evening at the
school campus.
All efforts to speak with the State Commissioner for
Education, Mr. Jide Adejuyigbe proved abortive as all
phone lines were unavailable as at the time of filing
this report.
But, a staff at the Ministry of Education who
preferred anonymity said government was not
neglecting the institution, saying the government is
doing his best to ensure the university is put in the
best shape.
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