James Sowole in Akure
Ondo State Government has set up a committee to review tuition being paid by students of the state owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
The setting up of the committee, was sequel to complaints by stakeholders that the money being charged by the school authorities was too high.
Banji Adewunmi, the Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Youth and Students Affairs,, disclosed the efforts of the government at a news conference where he briefed journalists on what transpired during a meeting between the governor and the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students’ (NANS).
The NANS president, Mr. Danielson Akpan had during a news conference alleges that Akeredolu ordered security men to walk him and other executive members of the student body out of his office.
Akpan said he and other executive of NANS had come to Ondo State to see the governor on the need to review downwards, fees being paid by students of the state tertiary institutions.
The state-owned tertiary institutions Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA ) and the Ondo state university of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH ) Okitipupa had been shut following protests embarked upon by the students on the hike in tuition.
But at another news conference, the governor’s special assistant alleged that Akpan actually misinformed the public about what happened during the meeting.
Adewunmi alleged that the NANS leadership came to Ondo State with his executives for personal gratification and not to defend interest of the state students,
The governor’s aide, who revealed he was part of the Monday’s meeting said the students leader asked for personal gratification from the governor rather than discussing issues pertaining to students in the state.
Adewumi added that the NANS president threatened to make the state ungovernable for the governor if he failed to accede to his demands.
He said “Several times during the meeting, even as the governor would be talking , Akpan would interrupt and insist that he be allowed to speak. Then, he threatened that he would make the state ungovernable for the governor with protests.
“At that stage, the governor said it was the right of the students to stage protest to press home their demands but advised that such protest should be organised peacefully without destruction of both private and public property”.
The Special Assistant said Akeredolu had directed institution’s management to allow all students to participate in continuous assessment and the examination with or without payment of the school fees.
While pointing it out that decision to increase the school fees was solely that of the institution, Adewumi assured that the state government would soon find a lasting solution to the issue.
Adewunmi, who said the governor as a listening person had initiated many policies in the education sector in the interest of the people of the state
He therefore enjoined all students of all the state’s tertiary institutions to remain calm as government would take decisions that would be in their interest.
