Students of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, today embarked on a protest and demanded the removal of the Rector of the institution, Alhaji Mohammed Isa.
The aggrieved students who locked the main gate of the institution as early as 6am prevented the rector and other top management staff from entering the campus.
They were said to be protesting against the non-availability of basic amenities such as portable water, electricity and toilets in hostels and classrooms in the school and also lack of functional clinic in the school, also accused the management of insensitivity to their plight.
According to them, the lack of toilet in the school was causing embarrassment to them as they visit the bushes around the campus to defecate even in the middle of the night.
The students also carried placards with various inscriptions like “remove our rector, we have lost confidence in him, “we need basic amenities in our school, government help” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Omale Usman, said had to embark on a peaceful demonstration since their series of complaints to the management of the institution yielded no results.
He lamented that necessary hostels’ and lecture facilities needed by the students for conducive teaching and learning atmosphere at the institution were not provided.
“We pay school fees but we don’t have light, no toilet facilities and no power supply. If you enter the campus, everywhere is smelling because students are forced to defecate in the open”, he said.
They also appealed for construction of a pedestrian bridge across the ever busy Lokoja-Okene road to guarantee safety of students.
The students threatened to disallow the rector from entering the campus until those amenities complained about were provided.
Apart from the rector, the students also chased away the leadership of their students union, accusing them of compromise.
Addressing the protesters, the commissioner for education in the state, Dr Sunday Tolorunleke, appealed to the students to bear with the state government.
He said the students were protesting for their rights, saying government had already directed the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to restore the disconnected electricity.
Speaking with newsmen, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Sunday Tolorunleke said, “As a commissioner in charge we have been making frantic efforts since morning to address some of the immediate needs of the Students.
“The students are not violent, they are only asking and demanding for their right lack of electricity, water and there are no toilets.
“I went there for on the spot assessment and discovered that there are no toilets and with their huge population you can imagine. So in the interim what I have done is to approach electricity distribution company to come and fix the light and then we are asking water works to come and bring their water tankers to meet their immediate needs
“I am meeting with the Governor this evening along with the Rector to articulate all the problems. The Governor says he does not want any problem at all particularly anything that will affects the youths and students.
“I have understood the issues and I will articulate them before the Governor and very soon we will meet all their demands. We are bringing in water tankers to cushion the effect.
