The students of Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State have cried to Governor Seyi Makinde and lamented the hardship they are experiencing which they claimed associated with payment for services they are not benefiting from.
The students made this lamentation today, while they were on protest at the government secretariat, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
According to their spokesperson who declined his identity,”we are paying for a very huge amount of money and today we don’t pay cash, we are paying through portal. We are having a single treasury account that covers institution of Polytechnic Ibadan. Today, we are paying for what we are not benefiting from. And one of the institutions that has been generating so much income, IGR to the state government, one of them is polytechnic Ibadan, and what do we have in return? We don’t have a conducive learning environment, we don’t have adequate lecturers taken the students, we are congested in class, overpopulation, DPP full time , part time in that school. We don’t even have as NANS many as UI and they are not even close to have our population in school.
” What are we paying for ? Paying for hostel that is not utilized, no water, no light, no good light. What exactly are we even paying for ?
“I can tell you ever since the beginning of this administration and I can count several institutions that the governor has stepped foot into, he has never set foot into that institution. One of the institutions generating IGR. The S.A to the governor is a student of UI, he knows what he is doing for UI . What has polytechnic of Ibadan done to this administration? Do you know one thing? We have never given room to any opposition party all because we are loyal till% 100. And I believe to whom much is given much is excepted. If we are doing all of these things and nothing is being returned to us definitely we are slaves and we say no to slavery . We are no longer a slave.
“I believe we have the Student Union Government led by Adedeji Adedamola AbdulAzeez and as a student union government he has never for once met with the governor. Lautech met with the governor, the newly elected president of Lautech met with the governor, and so many institutions I can’t even mention their names met with the governor and all provisions are being given to the institution why not if not polytechnic of Ibadan? Are we slaves? We have more than 3 polling boots in polytechnic Ibadan and if by today we are not benefiting from him, go into any other institutions how many polling boots do they have there? And has there ever been in history even the concluded election of the councirlorship or whatsoever and the local government election process, has there ever been any invasion ? We protect every right of this institution and we protect every right of this government.
“That’s exactly what we are clamouring for. We don’t have the readiness of our results. No accessibility to the portal. Even our parents should have their sons or daughters portals so as to be accessible so as to know what you are paying for but today we have pile up of results of over five years being piled up. Most of our students are actually waiting to be mobilised to NYSC and they don’t even have fate. They can’t not say specifically when exactly they are going. Most of HND they are yet to have their NOR. And what are we talking about ? Currently, I think couple of days ago, 18 students got to know that 10 out of 18 students were actually admitted and they are paying for tuition fee.
“We had been doing ever before now and that is the more reason we are coming out enmass to think probably we don’t have hope for now because we are here, so far our grievances and we are being told that the governor is not around was on his way to Portharcourt or whatsoever and we are here suffering for what we are not benefiting from. Today, the administration of the SUG has never met with the government and nothing has been done so far now. We are having issues with the increment in the school institution fee, acceptance fee, hostel fee and we still even pay for refusal. If you are not staying in hostel you have to pay for the refusal. The governing council of the Polytechnic Ibadan are not doing anything. Have you ever heard of such? Everything is online. We are paying the sum of ₦5000 for the refusal of hostel. Ever since the beginning of this administration, we were told to all occupy the hostel all because of the renovation and they increase it from ₦20,000 to ₦40,000, now from ₦40,000 to ₦35,000. The students now said they are not going to occupy the hostel because there is no facility. Like 2 or 3, I think about 10 meter square or whatsoever. You can imagine the length of that hostel.
“That we don’t know and that has been the major reason we are here to see that probably he is been given a false information to the governor that everything is going smoothly in Polytechnic Ibadan whereas we are crying , we are suffering, we are paying, we are in pain. Do you know one thing ? Polytechnic Ibadan today, we have five faculties. One of the major minority faculties is suffering most, Faculty of Engineering, we don’t have structures, we don’t have lecturers, we don’t have facilities. Go to our medical, we are paying for it. We don’t have injection, we don’t have drugs , we don’t have staffs. You know one thing ? We are paying everything online. There is no cash so there is going to be anybody hold responsible for cash payment.
“I bare my humble name, I don’t know Rector. I don’t know what exactly he is been doing. I can only protect the interest of whosoever I am representing. I don’t know Rector. I have never met with the rector. Have you met with the Rector ? NO! The Rector said the Dean student Affair said everything is okay and is not okay. I don’t know Rector and I have never met Rector and I don’t know what the Rector is doing”, he ended
