By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Alltimepost.com Special Correspondent (Nigeria)
Nigerian Students and Youth Association (NISAYA) has given Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki a 72-hour
ultimatum to publicly address the state students’ concerns about the sorry state of all tertiary institutions in the heartbeat of the nation.
The students said that if Governor Obaseki failed to heed their ultimatum, they would “mobilize the over 1.4million teeming Nigerian students across the state to join in condemnation of the poor state of Edo tertiary institutions and student welfare.”
The ultimatum handed to Godwin Obaseki was contained in a press release, signed by the Association’s president, Mr. Osamudiamen Ogbidi at World Press Conference in Benin City on Wednesday May 22, 2019.
Mr. Ogbidi said the continued shutdown of the College of Education, Ekiadolor, College of Education Iguorakhi, School of Nursing Benin City and the Tayo Akpata University “is highly condemnable and punishable by God.”
Continuing, he said that authorities of the Colleges of Education Igueben, the School of Health Technology Sapele Road, Edo State Polytechnic Usen and the Ambrose Alli University “have kept strangulating students off their resources without close monitoring by the Edo State government.”
“We put it to the state government that the rising insecurity, cybercrime and depression causing death especially among young people is largely as a result of shutting down most of the higher institutions in the state,” Mr. Ogbidi said.
In addition to their demands, NISAYA called for a repeal of the law establishing Tayo Akpata University, and the establishment of a working committee with NISAYA’s participation.
They also tasked Edo State Government and the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC) to pay bursary to all Edo state students in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“Communities in the oil-producing local government areas of Edo State, comprising Orhionmwon, Ikpoba Okha and Ovia North-East have done nothing in terms of bursary, scholarship…like what obtains in Delta, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states,” Mr. Ogbidi said.
The students said that they resorted to issuing the ultimatum because of the continued indifference the state government shown to their concerns for a long time.
“We have been consulting them for good seven months. When we first wrote to the governor, he directed us to the Commissioner of Education who did nothing concerning the issues we brought before him. They are neglecting students by their insensitivity. But it is our hope the government will listen to us without a resort to any kind of confrontation.”
The Nigerian Students and Youth Association is a student group advocating on behalf of Nigerian students and youth. It champions access to equity and fairness to all, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and religious affiliations.
