Victor Ogunje in Ado-Ekiti
The Federation of Ekiti State Students Union (FESSU), of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, has urged the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to urgently beef up security on campus following cases of alleged invasion of the institution by security operatives, hooliganism, cultism, and other physical violence in the institution.
Two weeks ago, some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), besieged a section of the campus and arrested four students for undisclosed reasons.
The FESSU also appealed to the governor to provide social amenities such as electricity and water to complement security on campus.
The students also appealed to Fayemi to establish a mechanism that would ensure even and equitable disbursement of bursary and scholarship from the state government in order to arrest the current trend that channels them to sons and daughters of politicians.
The requests, which were contained in a statement signed by the FESSU, EKSU President, Alegbeleye Ayorinde, expressed displeasure at the arrest and unlawful incarceration of some students of the university without linking them to any verifiable crime.
“We appreciate the government for the love he has for the indigenous students of the state in giving scholarship and bursary awards. History made us know that this kind of opportunity has not been available during the previous administrations in the state.
“But we want the government to look into the problem of partiality in sharing the scholarship and bursary awards. It has become a rampant belief among students that names are being collated in political party ward offices, which profited only the children of party members.”
“In short, Ekiti State Scholarship Board and bursary award is now a party slot. If this continues, there will never be an opportunity for the children of indigent parents to benefit from them.
Therefore, we seize this medium to plead with the administration of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi to help us look into this by making the scholarship and bursary opportunities liberal for all and to all,” Ayorinde said.
He added that: “Another problem which causes impediment in the academic performance in our dear institution is the problem of lack of electricity. The last time electricity was experienced in the campus was 2014, during the first term of Dr. Fayemi. Therefore, we want the government to continue the good works it started.”
