Category: Campus Life

By Sampson Unamka

The MTN Foundation has opened registration for its Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme (STSS) and Scholarship Scheme for Blind Students (SSBS).

The application, which opened on June 15, is for students in accredited public tertiary institutions (universities, colleges of technology and polytechnics) in Nigeria.

Application for STSS is open to third year science and technology students with a minimum CGPA of 3.5 (Second Class Upper/or its equivalent).The SSBS is for visually-impaired students in their second and third year, with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or its equivalent.

Speaking on the schemes, Acting Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, said: “We understand the importance of education and technology in the development of our nation and this underscores our various interventions in the education sector. Our youth are the future and fulfilling their dreams is key to this. We look forward to engaging with the newest recipients of the scholarship schemes once the process is completed. I encourage every eligible student to please apply.”

READ ALSO: MTN Foundation donates to orphanages

The sum of N200,000 will be awarded yearly to cover each awardee’s tuition, book allowance and stipend, till graduation as long as they maintain the required grades.

The scheme has awarded scholarships to 3,829 students in the last 10 years.

Students in tertiary institutions across the country have lamented the continued closure of schools as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reports ELIZABETH FADEYI (IBADAN POLY).

It has been  months now since the Federal Government ordered the closure of schools due to the coronavirus  pandemic ravaging the world.

Many students  anticipated early date of resumption, but the government still deem it unsafe  to re-open schools, even now.

Before the closure, most schools were about to start exams, while some were  beginning  the semester. It is even more difficult for the final year students who were preparing for their project  defence or just finishing their exams.

Three months into the closure, students of tertiary institutions are tired of the long ‘vacation’ and want the government to consider re-opening schools as soon as possible for them to cover lost grounds.

Emmanuel Adewale, a final year student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, tagged it “an unwholesome experience” because he had planned to graduate this year.

“As a final year student who planned on finishing school this year, it hasn’t been a good experience,” he said.

For Mayowa Adeolu, a student of the Tai Solarin University of Education, the closure has been a nightmare because it has delayed academic activities.

He said: “I see this as a time waster for my studies because by now I ought to have finished writing exams and already in another semester but there is no hope for resumption yet. Staying at home has been tiring for me. I just hope we can resume soon.”

Hannah Shobiyi, a student of Covenant University, said it was difficult to read and concentrat at home. She appealed to the Federal Government to re-open schools as there are lost grounds to cover.

Tunde Olusola, a student of Marketing at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, is saddened because he thought the closure would last two weeks.

He complained of ineffective online classes, noting that much work remained to be done.

“ We are really lagging behind. There are lots of ground to cover by our lecturers. While I was leaving for home from school, I thought it was a two-week closure, I didn’t come with any of my notes or textbooks. This makes me sad, it has even been long I read,” he said.

The closure of schools has not  only affected Samuel Uzor, a Masscommunication student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan,  academically but financially.

He said: “The continued closure of school has really affected me not only in my studies, but in my business. As a fashion designer, I sew clothes for my coursemates who are my target customers. Unless school reopens, patronage will continue to be non-existent.

In the same vein, Favour Martins, a 100- level student at the Federal College of Education, Anambra, said it affected her academically and business wise because she sold things to students on campus.

She said: “It has affected my income.I augment what I get from my parents with the proceeds of what I sell on campus.

But ever  since the lockdown, I have been at home and my parents have stopped giving me money.”

Another student, Moses Andrew, 300- level Business Administration at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said it had really affected their session.

And as the year pans out, he doubts if normalcy would return. He noted that they ought to have started a new semester but they had not concluded the one before the lockdown.

On her part, Comfort Oyekunle, a 400- Level Economics student of Crawford University, said the continued closure of schools would negatively impact learning outcomes as students have little or no motivation to read at home.

School also serves as hubs of social activities and interaction. Students will continue to miss out on physical and social contact which are essential to learning and development.

She added that the best option was to allow schools to reopen as nothing can be compared to physical classes.

Folami Ogunsina, a student of the Osun State Polytechnic, said it was time the government reopened schools because, it would be difficult to correct the lapses in their studies.

He said:  “There are lots of academic work to be done. Even before the closure, students clamoured for extended lecture periods. I am  not sure if we can ever cover our syllabus because our lecturers won’t have the time again.”

A Business Administration student of Lagos State Polytechnic, Sunday  Adebayo, said   he would have agreed to the government’s  decision on staying at home if the online classes were functional and effective. He urged the government to reopen schools to avoid churning out mediocres as graduates.

Apart from ineffective and non existent online classes, Barakat Jimoh, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, noted that the closure had caused ‘amnesia’ for her.

“I have been at home for months, sleeping and waking. I now find it difficult to recollect anything I read. Also, the motivation to read is no longer there.

The only thing the government can do is to allow us resume school. My younger brother is also at  home seeking admission. No one  knows if he will be able to gain admission this year”

Precious Gbala, an undergraduate of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, stated that the lockdown which had crippled academic activities was making her unproductive because she spent her time on social media to arrest boredom.

She said:” This pandemic has led to the delay in our academic activities and really it has had lots of effects on me. But the reality is that a larger percentage of us students are actually being unproductive due to this lockdown. So, I think, in a nutshell, this pause  in academic activities has done more harm than good.”

On her part, Mojisola Amoniyan, Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago Iwoye, decried the lockdown, saying it has affected her studies to a large extent because, according to her, online classes were not as effective as practical classes. She added that the truncation of the school calendar was part of the drawbacks of the stay-at-home.

“The COVID-19 lockdown has really  affected me as a student because  classes that are supposed to be practical are being taught online, it cannot be as easy as being taught by the lecturer who prepared the study pack.

“Sadly, it will certainly change the school calendar since almost every sphere of human endeavour is shut down,” she complained.

Expressing her displeasure, Busola Adediran, a 400-Level Law student of the University of Lagos, said: “When schools were asked to shut down by the Federal Government, I saw it as an opportunity to read in preparation for the resumption.

But, after a while, I lost the focus to read because of boredom. Again, my monthly allowance got slashed by my parents.”

Bola Ogunyemi, a final year Law student of the University of Ibadan, said he ought to have been preparing for his final year papers and defending his project, but the reverse was the case. He has to find a way to cope and move on with the next step on his life.

He said: “I am not so sure if I will be able to cope again since everything has been  disrupted.  Now, only God knows if we will ever get the chance to serve this year.

I never imagined this kind of situation. I have also stopped all other programmes I am into. It is  a big setback for me.”

Despite the fact that Chris Enechukwu, a 200-Level Economics student of University of Ilorin, finds  reading at home very difficult, the closure has  given him quite enough time for reflection and to take new steps towards  self improvement.

He said: “For me, reading at home has been at a really slow pace, unlike when I was in school. It is a time-wasting exercise, but then, the prolonged resumption has given me  quite a lot of time to reflect and take new  steps towards improving myself.”

By Caleb Ijioma

Our tertiary institutions  have over the years, found a legal way to extort students who ordinarily find it difficult to pay for their school fees after they’ve been granted admission.

You will agree with me that the number of students granted admission per year is low compared to the number of students who applied. Most times, students go as far as paying a stipulated amount just to secure admission.

According to reports made by Allafrica.com, no fewer than one million students seeking admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, every year have failed to get slots in tertiary institutions in Nigeria as the system cannot admit more than 600,000 in any given year.

In 2013, 1,629,102 registered for UTME, in 2014, it was 1,606753 and 1,000,400 in 2015. For 2016, a total of 1,589,175 registered, just as 1,736,571 and 1,662,762 registered in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

With 158 universities and 115 polytechnics, colleges of education and monotechnics, their carrying capacity is still slightly above 600,000. Meanwhile, an average of 1.6 million UTME candidates register for entrance examination yearly.

After going through the pains of waking up late at night to read, paying much to get tutored, after all this, you’re being admitted and later asked to pay in other to accept the admission given to you.

I suggest  that after a student has secured an admission, which cannot be possible without purchase of the application form, such student shouldn’t be mandated to pay any amount to accept the admission given to him/her by their school authorities

You telling me to pay for an acceptance fee is telling me to pay to accept my admission given to me in good faith by the school authorities who found me worthy of such admission.

Acceptance fee in some institutions are outrageous, some students pay N60,000 for acceptance fee, an amount that is more than some tertiary institution school fees.

After paying for UTME form, then after you’ve been  granted admission, you pay for acceptance fee,then school fees. This is just too much!

Even though education in Nigeria is becoming expensive, some unnecessary fees mandated by school authorities should be abolished; acceptance fee most importantly.

• Caleb Ijioma is a Mass communication HND 1 student of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic.

By OLAYINKA ABDULRAZAQ

Rape and sexual assault are serious crimes against the dignity and sexual rights of an individual. Everyone has the right and freewill to make informed decisions about their sexual conduct and also to respect these same rights and dignity of others.

Historically, women have always been subjugated and oppressed by men in most cultures in Nigeria. This situation is due to the inequality in gender relations between men and women

Rape has always been with mankind.  However, in recent times, the incidence of rape has increased in Nigeria. The hegemonic patriarchal values and practices make it difficult for women who are raped to obtain justice.

Perpetrators often go unpunished even if the victims have the courage to report the incident. The court acquits most of the rape offenders on account of the lack of evidence or because the victim has a ‘questionable’ character.

Owing to this, rape victims suffer in silence due to the stigma and humiliation attached to the public acknowledgement of rape.

The reason the menace of rape has not been effectively curtailed over the years is not the absence of relevant laws to bring culprits to book but the weakness in implementation and enforcement.

The punishment prescribed in our laws is life imprisonment for rapists. This punishment is enough, but the problem lies in the implementation.

Since I was born till now, I don’t think I have seen anyone going to jail for life for rape.

The most we have had is the recently enacted VAPP where rapists have been sentenced to several years. Nigeria has at least five different codes regulating rape,yet it persists.

Sadly,our laws are  full of loopholes  which make  it  difficult for any victim of rape to get justice. Unless the law-drafters are ready to reform and amend our  laws, the rape cases may persist.

Amongst the lacunas that make it difficult for rape’s victim to get justice, and free rapists from conviction is the technicality of “corroboration.”

It is settled in our laws that a rape victim’s testimony is not enough to convict a rapist, unless it is corroborated by another evidence which is either through eye witness or medical test which is hard to get, because no rapist will commit such ungodly act where people will see them.

Then, Sexual Assault  Evidence Collection Kit is not readily  available in our hospitals which makes it difficult to check the ruptured  hymen of a  victim.

The proof of penetration is also another lacuna hindering the conviction of rapists. Under our extant law, the only recognised rape is rape per vagina.

That is, a person could be guilty of rape only when he penetrates the victim’s vagina with his manhood. If he uses other objects, he will not be guilty of rape but assault.

Our laws need reformation in order to curb this unholy act. Because the advancement of rape has gone beyond per vagina only.

The only present law that caters for this is the recent VAPP, and all the states ought to have domesticated it.

The major ingredient of rape is lack of consent. Where there is no consent there is rape, and when there is consent, there is no rape.

To prove the lack or presence of consent is a major problem that impede justice. Even our law fails totally to device a static measure to determine the presence or lack of consent, this is a very tricky subject in the offence of rape.

Moreover, the law has made a distinction between rape and defilement. Though this is good, yet the sections 218 and 221 of the Criminal Code have made it a lesser crime to rape.

For instance, in the offence of defilement, corroboration is a must, prosecution must commence  within two months after the offence is committed.

These two conditions have posed a serious problem to convict defilers. That is why myriad rape cases of children, like a 3, 6, 10 and 12 are rampant but justice seems a pipedream.

It is  time for our law drafters to block these escape routes via reformation and amendment of laws for justice to prevail.

• Olayinka Abdulrazaq is a 300 level Law student, University of Ilorin

By Caleb Ijioma

 

The National Association of University Students (NAUS)  has  called for the reopening of all schools in the country in   a letter signed by its Senate President, Ibrahim Muhammad Lawal, and addressed to the Federal Ministry of Education on June 26.

The Federal Ministry of Education  ordered the  immediate closure of tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools nationwide in March  following the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country and as part of measures to contain its spread.

Muhammad while speaking to CAMPUS LIFE, said that the association made the plea  as a result of the ban lifted on religious houses and the violations of the social distancing order by politicians

He said: ‘’We have decided to push for all schools resumption because of different reasons. The NCDC announced recently that 85per cent to 95per cent  patients will recover.Some states have no coronavirus patients again.

‘’If worship centres can operate while obeying  social distancing rules, I think our schools can re-open and then we change the academic calendar”.

Muhammad also urged  the Federal Government to scrap acceptance fees and also create isolation centres  in schools during the process of reopening.

“The Federal Government should scrap acceptance fees and reduce schools fees. Schools should also provide hand sanitisers and encourage the use of face masks.

‘’The Federal Government should provide full electricity for evening classes  and create isolation centres in the teaching hospitals”, he said

Speaking on the next step he’ll take if the Federal Government refuses to reopen schools, he said,

“We  will make more consultation and reach out to some experts to analyse the reason given  by the Federal Government for continued closure.

If it’s genuine, we have no option than to support it, but if it is not genuine, we will give them ultimatum to reopen our schools  or we will call for nation-wide non stop protest”

He added that his next step would be determined after  receiving a response to his letter

“We expect to receive a response soon from the Minister of Education and then we  know our next plan. We want to make the Federal Government know that we can’t continue with the policy of locking up our schools because no one can predict what will happen to future generations,” he said.

By Abdulrasheed Hammad

 

Dr. Muhammad Murtala Aminu, a Trademarks and Intellectual Property Expert cum Law Lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, as secretary to the Nigerian Law Reform Commission.

The Nigerian Law Reform Commission is an institution saddled with the responsibility to harmonise national legislation and  also among the four parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The Secretary of the  Commission is to be the accounting officer while also supporting  the chairman in ensuring that all the rules and regulations relating to the management of the human, material and financial resources of the Commission are adhered to in accordance with the objectives of the Federal Government.

Early this year, Dr Aminu  was also appointed  by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to serve as a panelist to assess entries for this year‘s maiden edition of the WIPO National Intellectual Property Essay Competition for students of all tertiary institutions.

He expressed  gladness over his appointment and showed gratitude to Almighty Allah.

“I am very happy and grateful to Almighty Allah for this appointment given to me,” he said.

The new secretary, however, vowed to adhere to the rules of the Nigerian Constitution and  the Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act. He also pledged to work tirelessly in making sure that laws in the country  are up to date and in accordance with international best practices.

He  urged law students to be hardworking, devoted and focused  to achieve their aims and objectives.

“ If you have any ambition of achieving greatness in your life, you should be hardworking, dedicated and concentrate on your target to achieve your aims and objectives,” he advised.

Before his appointment, he was the coordinator of the Diploma programme in UDUS and a member of different committees in the faculty. He has taught numerous courses in the institution which include; Commercial Law, Conflict Law,  Intellectual Property Law, among others.

By Hamzat Ameenah

 

The Oyo State Government has distributed palliatives to the students of The Polytechnic,Ibadan as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

During  the presentation  at the    the institution’s SUG building, President of the union, Comrade Blessing Fadare disclosed that  the relief packages  included food items such as rice,semolina,yam flour,groundnut oil, among others.

He further explained that the distribution was facilitated by the Students Union Government,  adding that  the packages were given to Students Association in Oyo State, while the remaining  were shared among indigenous associations within the state.

According to Folashade Adedeji,the Student Union Welfare Director,the union selected the beneficiaries based on a survey on its platform with only those who participated getting the palliatives.

“I’m really disappointed in some of the beneficiaries. Out of those selected, few showed up, we had to make another selection to ensure that the packages were delivered”, she said.

Ogundele Quadri, one of the beneficiaries from the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies, expressed happiness for getting the package and lauded the efforts of SUG for working on behalf of the students.

Another beneficiary, Ridwan Kaffo, from the Department of Architecture, thanked the  state government and also the SUG for the palliatives.

He advised the other students of the institution  to always take cognisance of every activity on campus because many saw the link for  the survey but ignored it.

The Deputy Speaker of the students union legislative council, Senator Bikini Taiye appreciated the state government for reaching out to the students while urging government to double its efforts to make sure all students benefit next time.

At the event the students present were admonished by the SUG officials to adhere strictly to the guidelines put forward by health authorities, while praying for a swift return to normality in the country.

 

The Students’ Union President, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Olatunji Adegboye, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in cultism recently dropped a suicide note on Facebook which has generated concerns from students of the institution and the National Association Nigerian Students (NANS), reports FASILAT OLUWUYI (MAPOLY).

The Students’ Union President of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Comrade Olatunji Adegboye was arrested for alleged cultism on February 9, by men of the Ogun State Police Command in Ilaro.

Adegboye, who is a final year student of Banking and Finance, became the Students’ Union President in December, 2019. He was said to be caught during initiation rites.

Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement, said the he was caught with one other student in full regalia of the dreaded Black Axe cult group. Oyeyemi said the arrest followed information received from the members of the public in the area.

He said:”The duo were arrested following information received by the police at the Ilaro division from members of the public that a group of people suspected to be cultists were sighted in a bush at Gbogidi area of Ilaro where they were trying to initiate new members into their dreaded group.

“On receiving the information, the DPO, Ilaro division, CSP Olayemi Jacob, mobilised his patrol team and swiftly moved to the scene where the two suspects were arrested with the assistance of members of the public, while others escaped through the bush.

‘’The two arrested cultists, who were in full regalia of the dreaded Black Axe cult, were taken into custody at the Ilaro Divisional Headquarters where they are being currently interrogated.”

Subsequently, Olatunji was paraded at the police headquarters in Eleweran Abeokuta. After spending about five days in custody without being charged to court, the National Association of Nigerian Students NANS threatened to embark on a protest.

However, the protest did not hold due to the intervention of Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, which resulted to dialogue.

Thereafter, Adegboye was charged to court. He was arraigned by the police at Ifo Magistrate Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

He was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Impeachment/ Suspension

When the news of his arrest broke, Adegboye  was impeached by the Student Parliament on Monday. His suspension by the school management followed the same day. He was replaced by Comrade Damilare Oyelusi.

His suspension was contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Registrar and Head of Public Relations of the polytechnic, Sola Abiala.

The statement reads in part: “This is consequent upon the foiling of the meeting of some cult groups from the neighbouring community by the security architecture and network of the polytechnic, the local vigilance group in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services.

“The suspension of Mr. Adegboye  is in line with the act establishing the polytechnic and the provisions of the students handbook coupled with the polytechnic’s zero tolerance for cultism, pending his appearance before the students disciplinary committee to establish his culpability or otherwise.”

Adegboye drops suicide note

Adegboye shocked many when he dropped a suicide note on his Facebook page last Saturday, accusing the school management of being responsible for his predicament. He threatened to commit suicide, claiming there was no one to fight for him since his case was adjourned.

In the suicide note, he lamented his plight, saying he was fighting for the hike in accommodation fees by the management and now he has been abandoned to his fate. He also said no one should mourn him after his death.

The suicide note reads: “Glory be to God for this probably the last breath in my nostrils, no matter how faint it may seem. More importantly, this may be the last thing I write since my hope to write statement of accounts, proffer economic solutions to the Nigerian financial problems has been dashed and shattered by the powers that be.

“I accepted to study Banking and Finance to fulfill my dreams but all I live to write now is a suicide note.

“I was arrested on February 9, 2020, and got transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Eleweran, Ogun State. I was detained for 144 days on February 17, 2020.

It’s been 114 days now since my case got adjourned, and to my utmost dismay, no individual or group has done anything to raise my hope.

“They say if you are silent in the days of adversity, you have taken the side of the oppressor. Now the question is, “Who is raising a voice in my favour?”

“Is it a crime to stand against the management for the students who gave me a mandate to defend their interests?

“Is it a crime for me to object the hike in accommodation price in the interest of striving Nigerian students?

“Is it a crime for me to send a red signal to the management in their quest to increase school fees, while pointing them to other means of IGR to execute their projects?

“Let no one mourn me when I finally pass on, for when I needed the continued support of activists, comrades, stakeholders, and sane individuals in the society to make me strong this trying time, no one was seen.”

Reacting to the sucide note, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said Adegboye should rather defend himself in court instead of going ahead to commit suicide. He said the suicide threat by the former SU president was not the business of the police, adding that he only tried to whip up sentiments.

I was drugged, and unlawfully impeached – Adegboye alleges

Speaking with CampusLife, Adegboye said he was drugged on the day the incident occurred. He stated that he could only remember that some people were running and he was thereafter arrested by the men of the vigilance group who he thought were coming to rescue him.

“Some people started beating me although I saw some people running and I saw the vigilante people coming, I even thought they wanted to  rescue me.

“They arrested me  and threatened me. They said: You’re the one who can fight for students, you’re the one who knows how to talk; let’s see how you’re going to talk now. With those words, I believed they planned it”.

He said the Students Representatives Council (SRC) were forced to impeach him by the Rector the day after the incident occurred.

“I was impeached by the Students Representatives Council (SRC) without even calling me to any panel. They were forced to impeach me by the Rector. They didn’t call me to any panel, they didn’t ask me what happened.”

Unjust hike in tuition and accommodation fee

He noted that there has been yearly hike in tuition fee in the school as well as house rent which he had been trying to fight.

He said: “The management do increase the tuition fee every year. Also, the CDA and CDC increase house rent because they know that the school do increase tuition, hence, they use the opportunity to increase house rent every year.

“This is a federal school; there are some state universities that don’t pay up to my school. But the students cannot speak up,’

Prior to the incident, he said he and his exco held a meeting with the landlord association in Ilaro on February 6, calling for a reduction but it later resulted into a fight with them.

“Two people called me after that day that what I did was wrong— fighting with the CDA and CDC members. They said I should be very careful that anything could happen.

“Then during my arrest, the vigilance group men told the Police Commissioner that they saw about 40 people, but I was the only one arrested.”

Why I wrote suicide note

When asked why he dropped a suicide note on his Facebook page, Adegboye said he did so out of frustration.

“I was frustrated and depressed. I believed   everybody had abandoned me to my fate, even my friends. No calls, nothing. I don’t have money, I don’t have anything.

“I have my own work, I write projects but I didn’t have access to my systems since the incident occurred. During that period, I had three systems; two were in my office with my speaker. I was prevented from getting my system.”

Adegboye disclosed that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has been trying its best for him and other student bodies have also pledged their support. He, however, called for support from fellow students.

“My fellow Nigeria students should also support me. Although I know that FPI students cannot speak because they still have the fear in them. But I believe other students will also support me because injustice to one is an injustice to all

“What happened to me might have happened to any other person. If we don’t stop it now, it will definitely reoccur. We must stop it now so that this issue will serve as a lesson to others.”

FPI students speak, call for justice

Some of the students of the polytechnic who spoke with CampusLife are demanding that justice be served right on Adegboye.

Speaking with CampusLife, Mulikat Adeleye, an ND2 student of Hospitality Management, described the SU President as a very straight forward and calm person.

“I have never related with him before but anytime I see him on campus even before he became the president, he was always calm and spoke responsibly.

“I don’t think he needs to be suspended and given too much punishment. So far, they are unable to bring out concrete evidence against him. We have rights to so many things, so he should still have right to his education.”

Mulikat charged the police and other law enforcement agents involved in the matter to ensure thorough investigation so the innocent would not be punished unjustly.

Simisola Kehinde, an ND2 Banking and Finance student, stated that the Rector ought to be considerate before taking any actions against him.

Her words: “I don’t really know much about him, all I know is that he is our president. Before his arrest, he was trying to put some things in order by protesting the increment of house rent.

Another student identified as Ayomide Ajayi, Business Administration, said:  “I have been expecting that decision of the school management on the matter. The school is truly ripe for transformation into university but some of the policies against its products make it seem like a secondary school. I pray God sees us through this case.’’

Another student who pleaded annoymity noted that Adegboye’s arrest appears to be a set up.

“The day he was arrested, the porter on duty testified to it that he left in the morning greeting him. I was in my room when he was arrested and brought to the hostel. They searched everywhere but nothing was found.

“The story that was circulated was that he was caught with his gang members. I’ve lived in a vicinity where cultists show off, so I know little about their actions. There should be a thorough investigation of the matter to ensure justice,” he said.

NANS set to hold protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) said plans have been concluded to have a mother of all protests in Abeokuta over the alleged victimisation of Adegboye.

The protest tagged: “National Day of Action against Victimisation of Student leaders by institutions’ managements” is expected to hold in the first week of July.

NANS noted that the protest would be used to demand his reinstatement as a SU president.

The National Vice President of NANS, Ojo Raymond, while addressing reporters in Abeokuta on Sunday, disclosed that the National Executive Council had approved the planned protest.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently set up a panel to probe ongoing projects at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.

The NANS National Vice President also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate how funds have been utilised since the appointment of Dr. Olusegun Aluko as its Rector.

ASUP reacts

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) Ilaro Chapter in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Com. Emmanuel Ademola and Foluso Faparusi on Monday warned the suspended Student Union President, comrade  Adegboye Olatunji to desist from attacking the rector of the institution and his members.

ASUP said that the allegations against the rector and it’s members are baseless and nothing but a white lie.

The Union vowed that any further attempt to tarnish the image of its members will be viewed with utmost seriousness.

The statement reads in part: ”The attention of the union has been drawn to various allegations leveled against members of our union by the suspended SUG president of the student union, Comrade Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji in the media.

“To this end, the union wishes to state thus: “That his allegation of teaching academic staff data analysis is not only false but baseless and insultive to the integrity of academic standard of our institution, we therefore in totality, condemn such a nasty statement which is aimed at derogating the quality of the lecturers in our institution.”

Meanwhile all attempts to reach the Rector of the institution, Dr Segun Aluko proved abortive as he failed to answer his calls and didn’t respond to messages sent to him.