BY OMOS OYINBODE, ASABA
Delta State Polytechnic in Ozoro, the home of Delta Isokos was, last Wednesday, embroiled in protest, resulting to wanton destruction of polytechnic property and eventual closure of the school for one week so as to settle the dust raised by the protest. The protest, it was gathered, followed an alleged decision by the institution’s management to increase tuition fees which it had not done for the past two years. It was learnt that the decision of management to increase the fees sparked off the protest and disrupted academic activities on the once serene campus community.
Among the three Delta State Polytechnics, the one situated in Ozoro has been reputed as the best among others situated in Ogwash Uku, in Aniocha South and Otefe-Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Areas of the oil rich Delta State. Since its establishment for more than 12 years, there had been some level of serenity on the campus. Hence, the recent protest baffled all as the polytechnic has been one to reckon with in the state.
The protest paralyzed economic activities in the locality as the commuters who plied the ever busy Ughelli-Asaba Expressway were stranded for over two hours as all forms of vehicular movements were grounded by the rampaging students. The protest, which was said to have erupted at about 1pm, lasted for over two hours and brought activities within the school to an abrupt end. The students, who carried placards with inscriptions such as “reduce our school fees now” and “return to the old school fees,” said they would not call off the protest unless the school authorities reverse its decision.
The protest, which was earlier quelled by the police, failed to yield needed result as the students were said to have regrouped and burnt down the school’s security post, thereby compelling the police to move in and applied teargas to disperse the students so as normalcy could be restored. A female student of the Business Administration Department in the institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the students were protesting the alleged increase of school fees making old and new students pay the same fees as against the old order.
It was gathered that the students, who were preparing for the first semester examination, were given till Monday, March 9 to offset their bills before the commencement of examination, a situation which further infuriated some of the students. But a student of Computer Science Department, who also declined to mention his name, said the institution had extended the period of school fees payment and course registration from the initial date to March 30, 2015.
While the protest lasted, many lecturers tried to run out of the school premises with their cars but were obstructed by the angry students on the campus. Their cars were destroyed even the Rector’s security guards were injured. Eye witnesses said the protest lead to students and other members of the campus community scampering for safety to avoid the deadly onslaught from the rampaging students.
The rioters went as far destroying the ATM machines in the school premises and also destroyed school properties and cars coming in or going out of the school premises. The riot expanded to the town as the town market was also torched by the rampaging students.
But in a release made by the institution’s management and signed by the Registrar, Mr. S.O. Onaibre, the management debunked all issues that were reported to have led to the crisis. The Registrar said no student was hospitalized as alleged in some quarters, stating that the police only used teargas to disperse the students when they started vandalizing the polytechnic properties. Onaibre also debunked the allegation that the riot was orchestrated by a hike in the institution’s school fees saying the polytechnic did not jack up the school fees from N32,000 to N54,850. According to him, “the management did not at any time hike the fees as students are still paying the fees they paid during the 2013/2014 session.”
Onaibre further said “for the avoidance of doubt, during the 2013/2014 session, the school fees for our full time/regular ND 1 students were N37, 750 and N32,050 respectively and that is what they are still paying in this current session. Records are available for verification. Similarly, the school fees for our part time students remain the same as ND 1 students are paying N54,850 while ND 11 are paying N48,750”.
He therefore said in all aspects of management decision, the Students Union Executive had always pleaded on behalf of the students and when they plead, the institution’s management had always yielded to the pleading of the students leadership and decisions are amended accordingly. Hence, he said since the protest did not enjoy the support of the Students Union Executives and the majority of the students, it is therefore an indication that the protest was orchestrated by some disgruntled elements with sinister motives. He added that their aim is to smear the current administration and undermine all the efforts being made to take the polytechnic to an enviable height.
Also, executive of the Students Union Government (SUG) had condemned the protest in its entirety. In a release by the union and signed by its President, Comrade Pabor Alphonsus and Secretary, Comrade Ezue Timothy, the SUG said the students were protesting hike in school fees, cost of accommodation in the community, poor electricity supply in the off campus residences and deadline fixed by management for school fees payment and course registrations.
The SUG, which denied involvement and support of the protest, said it was perpetrated by some students with ulterior motives. Supporting the claim of the Registrar, the SUG also agreed that there was no increase in school fees, just as it dissociated itself from the protest, describing it as an act of brigandage orchestrated by selected disgruntled students playing out scripts of some sponsors outside the polytechnic community.
Similarly, the alumni association of the polytechnic had condemned the protest but blamed it on the alleged increase of school fees by the polytechnic authorities. The alumni said as an independent stakeholder, it had carried out an investigation and discovered that there was actually no increment in school fees in the last two years. The association however, noted that there are reports of extortion of students by some lecturers in the system but added that the Rector had curtailed the trend by suspending or terminating the appointment of such members of staff.
However, sources close to management of the institution told our correspondent that it was a privileged information that was released to some students which indicated that the polytechnic management was planning to increase the school fees that sparked off the protest. And since a circular has not been released to that effect which anybody could lay hands on, the management is tactically pulling its hands off as it cannot be substantiated that it had increased school fees, as, according to the Registrar, the records are there for verification that the school has not increased any school fees.
