Students Storm Oyo Governor’s Office, Block Gate

Students of Oyo State School of Hygiene, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday stormed the Oyo State Governor’s Office and shut down governance for a few hours.

The students were protesting the non-accreditation of courses in their school. They blocked the main entrance of the office and demanded that Governor Abiola Ajimobi hear their plight.

No fewer than 300 students of the institution were involved in the protest, which was led by the school’s Students’ Union President, Tunde Ayuba.

The students lamented that since the school was established about 81 years ago, no effort had been made to upgrade the school’s facilities. They added that the certificates offered by the school had no national status.

Ayuba said, “Our school was established on April 1, 1933, but 81 years after, the school has yet to be accredited. We don’t have the infrastructure to compete as a higher institution. Some people refer to us as second-class higher institution. We earn Ordinary Diploma and Higher Diploma certificates, but we do not observe the National Youth Service Corps scheme because we are not accredited. The National Association of Nigerian Students does not recognise us either.”

Ayuba pointed out that gaining admission to the school was not an easy task as students would have to go through stages of examinations. He also alleged that the school’s tuition was high.

“Before our admission into the school, we wrote different examinations and went through a three-month probation period, which was referred to as weeding. Our tuition is more than N70,000 and while indigenes pay an extra N15,000 to the government purse, non-indigenes pay N25,000.”

Secretary to the State Government, Ismail Alli, who attended to the students on behalf of the governor, said the government was not sleeping over the issue.

He explained that Ajimobi had approved the upgrading of the institution to a school of health technology, adding that the House of Assembly was working on the bill.

He said, “It is a good thing that you have come as orderly group of students. You are pace-setting students of a respected hygiene institution that was established in 1933. The governor has mandated me to let you know that he acknowledges the contribution of the school to the development of the state.

“The governor is ready to deal with your problems, but there is a procedure to follow before this school can be the college of health technology that the governor desires. The bill for the upgrade put together by the Ministry of Health has already been presented to the state House of Assembly.”

The SSG appealed to the students and assured them that their agitations would be taken care of.

“We have in the 2014 budget the provision for upgrading of the school facilities that will lead to its accreditation. Everything you are clamouring for are already being taken care of,” the SSG added. (PUNCH)