By Okiemute Okpomor
EFFURUN – Students of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun today, Thursday, locked out all staff of the institution in a protest against the school management.
The students, most of who reside in the school hostel had apparently woken up early to take over all entry and exit points of the school preventing officials from leaving or entering.
Some people had to scale the school fence to enter the premises. The protest was largely peaceful though the students displayed placards with various inscriptions expressing their grievances.
Security men at the gate helped to keep the situation under control, while management staff who came in early watched helplessly as the students chanted and danced at the gate.
The Speaker of the PTI student Union could not be reached as he was holding pockets of meeting with other students but those who spoke complained that the school management was not treating them fairly. They said their major grievance was the rebuff of the school authorities to their planned students week activities.
Some of the students also alleged that the school management asked them to go and source money for the students’ week activities if they were interested in carrying on with it.
“Our leaders met with the Vice Principal yesterday (Wednesday) and she told us to go and source for money for the programme.
“Why should we source for money when in our school fees we paid two thousand Naira each for sports, so where is that money”? The students queried.
The students also complained about lack of electricity in the school explaining that the situation was having a negative effect on their ability to read. They also pointed out that rats and snakes were having field day in their hostels and asked that the hostels be fumigated at once to prevent snake bites as the reptiles posed danger to them.
No official of the Institute was ready to comment on the student protest as calls put to the mobile phone of Mr. Brown Ukanefimoni, Head, Public Affairs Department did not go through but an SMS sent was delivered but as at press time, he has not responded to enquiries.
It was also gathered that the trouble was being stirred by students who may not be ready for their exams and are using the protest as a ploy to delay the examinations which are due shortly.
The Principal/Chief Executive of the Institute, Prof. Sunny Iyuke was not around when the protest erupted but the Vice Principal Mrs. Emily Arhagba was seen being ushered through the gate at about 9.10 am to negotiate with the protesting students.
