News
Federal Polytechnic, Ado Sets Up Panel To Probe Students’ Riot
John Abiodun, Ado Ekiti
Following the violent protest that greeted the death of a student of Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Vincent Taiwo Oluwafemi, on Saturday, the school authorities have inaugurated a Panel of Inquiry to probe the incident.
The panel headed by the Head of Department of Civil Engineering, Mr. Joseph Adams, an engineer, is expected to carry out the assignment in two weeks and make recommendations to the
management.
The institution’s Deputy Registrar, Information, Mr. Ade Adeyemi-Adejolu, said other terms of reference of the panel are to identify and establish the level of the dramatis personae which include perpetrators, collaborators and instigators.
The panel is also to identify the affected areas, structures and
establish the extent of the damage done; to bring up the current cost
implications of the damaged building, materials and equipment.
The panel is also saddled with the task of making recommendations on how to forestall such future occurrence and bring up preventive
measures and to recommend reparation to be charged against students based on the determined cost of the damaged facilities.
The students were said to have forcibly discharge the HND II student of Estate Management, against medical advice from
Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and without the
knowledge of the polytechnic medical team on the fateful day.
Sources said the deceased student had reported ill at the Polytechnic’s Health Centre on Friday, 6th October and got stabilized after which he was referred to EKSUTH for further treatment.
During their riot, the students burnt down the polytechnic’s National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)-accredited Health Centre, alleging that it was not well stocked with drugs.
The school authorities have however, denied by the students’ claim and consequent upon the level of violence, closed down the institution indefinitely.
The management at an emergency meeting resolved to suspend the Student Union Government (SUG) with immediate effect and set up a fact-finding panel to investigate the remote and immediate cause(s) of the violence.
The Rector, Dr. Taiwo Akande, while on an assessment visit to damaged
facilities, expressed shock at arson, vandalism and looting of polytechnic property by the rampaging students.
The students during the riot broke into the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Centre through the ceiling and stole
not less than 40 laptops from the facility.
Besides, the irate students also stole eggs and chickens from the
poultry and hundreds of tubers of yams from the demonstration farm and also vandalized the fishery and bakery.