Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has explained the crisis rocking the state-owned Olabisi Onabanjo University (O.O.U) Ago-Iwoye, saying the closure of the institution was because of the students’ attitude. The university was closed down at the weekend, after a breakdown in negotiations between the students and government over further reduction in fees.
The state government had penultimate week announced about 61 per cent reduction in school fees in all the ten state-owned tertiary institutions. But, OOU students staged a protest, seeking further reduction and an immediate implementation of the new fees regime.
After a two-day violent protest, the government set up an ad-hoc committee to look into the matter. Its meeting with the students’ representatives was deadlocked, leading to closure of the institution.
Speaking on the matter yesterday, Amosun condemned the students’ action, which he alleged had “strong external backing”.
In his address at the closing ceremony of the Batch B NYSC orientation exercise in Sagamu, the governor further alleged that the plan was to create havoc in the state.
“As fresh graduates, you must have taken interest in the development concerning reduction of school fees in the tertiary institutions owned by our state and how the students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) decided that instead of commending the self-initiated good gesture of government, as done by their colleagues in the other nine institutions, to employ violent, aggressive and unlawful means to press for more demands. The government, after extensive deliberations with the leadership of the student union bodies reduced school fees with some institutions. We also agreed that for orderly implementation, the new school fees regime should commence with the 2014/2015 session. However, a section of OOU students insisted on the commencement date being the current academic session which will end in the next two to three months”, he said. He added: “Though, we set up an ad-hoc committee to further engage them, the students chose the confrontational path. Obviously, they are acting under strong external influence and their plan was to unleash mayhem on the state and its residents. In fulfilment of the responsibility of government to protect lives and property, we decided to avoid any untoward development by directing that the institution be shut”
0 Response to "OOU Students Protest Had Strong External Influence – Amosun"
Post a Comment