Ondo Poly students asked to pay N168m as damages for destroying school properties

The management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic has slammed the students of the school with N168m as damages for destroying school properties while protesting against the managements no fee, no exam policy.

On Tuesday, January 23, 2018, Pulse reported the violent protest the students of the Polytechnic staged to reject the management's policy. The protest led to the invasion of the institution's ICT centre, destruction of properties worth millions of Naira and the closure of the polytechnic.

Two months after, the committee set up to look into the protest has recommended that the polytechnic students should pay N168 million damages as a condition for the school to be re-opened.

Prior to the committee's recommendations, the students have been clamouring for the school to be reopened.

On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, the Polytechnic's Students’ Union Government (SUG) issued a seven-day ultimatum to Ondo State Government to re-open the school, saying students were tired of staying at home.

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The SUG release reads in part:

“We are tired of sitting at home without doing nothing. We have no information on when our school would be re-opened. We agree strongly that we must pay for the damages, but we want to return to our studies.

“The union calls for the resumption and immediate announcement of reparation fee for each student within the next seven days starting from April 10''.

Meanwhile, following the submission of its report, the Chairman of the Committee, Pastor Oyekan Arije said the destruction and vandalism of the school properties by the students is unacceptable.

Arije also said that members of the committee were startled by the level of destruction carried out by the students during the protest.

Tertiary education in crisis in Ondo state

However, academic activities in state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo state is in crisis as the students of Adcekunle Ajasin University students threaten to make the state ungovernable for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for increasing their tuition fees from N30,000 to N180,000.

On Monday, April 9, 2018, the student leaders of AAUA, with solidarity from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS) mobilised thousands of students to protest against the hike.

The protesting students barricade major roads in the state capital, Akure, causing a lot of traffic as they expressed their displeasure with the state governor.