Ondo Poly Students In Violent Protest Over New Policy

Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed on Monday as students of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo protested against the school’s policy of compulsory payment of school fees before writing examination.

The school management had directed that only students who have paid their school fees should be allowed to write the ongoing examination of the institution.

The school was closed for over two months last year over non payment of salary of the institution’s workers.

Trouble started on Monday when students who are yet to pay their fees were sent out of the examination hall.

The students were told to pay their fees or forget about writing the exams.

Irked by the development, the angry students stormed the Akure/Benin expressway, preventing vehicular movement for over an hour.

The protesting students also stormed the institution’s ICT center and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

It took the intervention of the security agents to return normalcy to the campus.

Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Owo chapter Mr. Rafiu Ijawoye said the students’ action was unacceptable and embarrassing.

He said just as students had rights in the institution, it doesn’t cover writing examination without payment of school fees.

The ASUP Chairman condemned the action of the students, stressing that it was sad that huge properties could be destroyed.

He said he has directed members of the ASUP in the institution to stop every academic activity till the issue is resolved.