A female undergraduate fainted and a police officer was wounded on Monday as students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta were protesting on the streets over the failure of the polytechnic to conduct the second semester examination, earlier planned to commence on September 18, 2017.
MAPOLY Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, had postponed the examination indefinitely. This was due to a dispute between the lecturers and the Ogun State Government over the government’s resolution to upgrade the polytechnic to university status.
The remonstrating students, who wore black T-shirts and chanting slogans, proceeded from Pansheke, passing through Oke Ilewo-Kuto-NNPC junction, to Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s office at Oke Mosan.
Some of the messages on the signs carried by the protesting students read; “Bring back our exam,” and MAPOLY must survive” among others. They lamented staying at home for three months and attributed this to the inaction/insensitivity of the state government who they claimed showed apathy towards their plight.
The Higher National Diploma students, who who’s final year examination was postponed, regrated their inability to joined their colleagues in other institutions for the compulsory one-year national youth service (NYSC program), others claimed the rent of their off-campus accommodation had lased and under the current situation, they had no other choice than to renew payment for another year.
The students were confronted by a detachment of riot police near the NNPC axis, and there was a violent brawl.
The narratives of eyewitness claimed that the policemen had shoot teargas canisters at the students to scatter them and a girl, believed to be asthmatic, lost consciousness. She was later rushed to the state General Hospital, Ijaiye, where she got attended to by the medical team on duty.
Upon reaching governor’s office at Oke Mosan, the student required to see the governor. But Governor Amosun was inaccessible (this is after the clash with the police at the NNCP axis).
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| Officer Samuel Daniel, allegedly injured during protest. Photo: Samuel Awoyinfa |
The aggravated student at a point became hostile and started throwing stones at the police officers, which hit one of them on the head, injuring the officer.
The demonstration was organised by an alliance of the National Association of Nigerian Students, the National Association of Polytechnic Students and the National Association of the Ogun State Students. Olawale Balogun who is the Chairman, NANS, Ogun State chapter, said that supporters of the alliance had undertaken to not stop protecting until the government shows concern by mediating to resolve the issue.
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