The
authorities of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday shut the
institution indefinitely, leading to a mass protest by students.
The Rector, Dr. Taiwo Akande, ordered the closure of the
polytechnic following the protracted strike action by labour unions in
the institution.
In a statement issued by the Deputy Registrar, Information, Mr. Ade
Adeyemi-Adejolu, the rector said the decision was taken “on behalf of
the Academic Board of Studies.”
The statement claimed that the closure which took immediate effect
was “a mid-semester break for its full time programme,” and directed all
full time students to return home and await further instructions.
“All residential students are therefore advised in their own
interests to vacate the Polytechnic Campus latest by 12noon,
today, Tuesday, 20th January, 2015,” it added.
The student protest was sparked by a congress held by the
polytechnic’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on
Monday in which the lecturers resolved to continue with their strike.
The closure order further infuriated the students who demanded the
removal of the rector over failure to reconcile with the aggrieved
unions.
ASUP, the Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Union of
Nigeria Polytechnics had been on strike protesting against Akande’s
leadership style which they said was against their interest.
The placard-carrying students who commenced their protest as early
as 7am called for an end to the strike embarked upon by the unions which
they said was affecting them.
The protest was led by the National Association of Nigerian Students Southwest coordinator, Sunday Ashefon.
The students claimed their school fees were outrageous and also
complained that the polytechnic lacked electricity and water, adding
that their hostels and lecture rooms were in bad condition.
The students alleged that the polytechnic authorities were owing
the Benin Electricity Distribution Company about N2.5 million
electricity bills which had thrown the hostels into darkness.
They blocked the Ado-Ikare road causing traffic gridlock. It took a
combined team of Special Response Squad, Special Crime Control, the
Police and Directorate of Security Service to disperse the angry
students with tear gas.
Speaking with reporters, the Vice Chairman of the National
Association of Nigerian Students in Ekiti State, Oluwapelumi Ogunmekun,
said strikes in the polytechnic had disrupted academic activities for
the last one year.
He accused the management and union of playing games with the
destiny of the students expressing anger that lecturers at their Monday
meeting voted in favour of continuation of their strike.
Ogunmekun alleged that the Student Union Government of the
polytechnic had been compromised by the management hence the invitation
to NANS to “fight on behalf of the students.”
But the polytechnic SUG president, Oladapo Ajibola, denied being
compromised by the management saying he was also part of the protest to
ensure the resolution of industrial action embarked upon by the unions.
He explained that the students had been on the campus since January
4 without any academic activity going on, saying the student union
would have another meeting with the management to find a way out of the
crisis.
The Deputy Rector (Academics), Afolabi Bamidele, explained that the
management was working hard to resolve the crisis rocking the
polytechnic and a headway would soon be achieved.
He disclosed that the management had met with the officials of the
National Board for Technical Education, and Ministry of Education, and
national leadership of the three unions in Abuja in a bid to resolve the
crisis.
Bamidele said, “We are having a headway with the unions but one of
the unions had a congress on Monday and voted that the strike should
continue and we now feel that the students should go home so that they
won’t be staying in the school doing nothing.”
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