Hundreds of students of higher institutions in Ogun State on Thursday took over the major streets of Abeokuta, the state capital, in protest against the current strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics.
The protesting students, bearing various placards about their plight, blocked major roads, including Lalubu, Panseke and Iwe Irohin/OPIC road, Kuto and Oke-Mosan, causing serious traffic jam and panic among residents who were heading to their various offices.
The protesting students were drawn from three Polytechnics in Ilaro, Igbesa and Abeokuta, under the aegis of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, Ogun State.
The students blocked the roads with rickety buses around Presidential Boulevard along Oke-Mosan,Abeokuta .
Policemen later appealed to the students to leave the roads open.
Security men shut the gates of the Governor's Office in Oke-Mosan against the protesting students, who attempted to enter into the complex.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Students Union Government, MAPOLY, Mallam Abdulghaffar Adeleye, lamented the insensitivity of the Federal Government to their plight.
Adeleye noted that issues that warranted the strike bordered mainly on the demand for better funding of polytechnics in the country.
He said, "We have been at home for 64 days now. It is regrettable to note the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the plights of these polytechnic staff, perhaps not taking into cognizance the number of students who are presently idle at home and might be used to perpetrate evils of various kinds."
Responding on behalf of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, assured the protesting students of polytechnics in the state that the governor would step in and help to resolve the matters which led to the strike by the lecturers and other senior officials.
"Your demands are clearly beyond us, but as you have requested, we will take your case to the Federal Government because we are also not happy about the development," he said.
The Punch
This strike just always happen in Ogun State. They really have to do something about it on time before the students get really angry....