Hundreds of students from the Ondo State College of Health Technology took to the streets on Monday to protest alleged extortion by the management of the institution.
The protesting students also decried what they described as the deplorable state of infrastructure on the campus, including classrooms, hostels, laboratories, and water supply.
Gathering in large numbers at the institution’s main entrance, the students barricaded the gate and set tyres ablaze while chanting solidarity songs. They vowed to boycott lectures and examinations until their grievances were addressed by the management.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “We Are Tired of This Wickedness,” “Health Tech With Poor Environment,” “Stop Extortion Now,” and “No Solution, No Exams,” the protesters voiced their frustrations.
The students accused the school authorities of imposing what they described as “unjustifiable charges” on students despite the poor learning environment.
One of the protesters stated that several appeals had been made to the management to resolve the issues, but the efforts had yielded no positive results. “We cannot continue like this. The environment is not fit for learning. Until they fix these problems, there will be no exams, no lectures,” he said.
In response, the Provost of the College, Emoruwa Oluwambe, denied the allegations of extortion leveled against the management. He mentioned that the Ondo State Government had intervened and called for a meeting, promising to provide a comprehensive response at a later time.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, who visited the institution following the protest, urged the students to embrace dialogue rather than violence. He assured them that their concerns would be looked into and addressed, stressing that students’ welfare and the provision of a conducive learning environment remained a priority for the government.
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