The Kebbi State Government, on Thursday, announced the closure of the College of Health Technology in Jega following a demonstration by the students.
The Commissioner for Higher Education in the state, Isah Abubakar-Tunga, disclosed this in a press release in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
He stated that the decision became necessary because allowing the demonstration to continue could lead to heightened tension and potentially escalate to an uncontrollable level.
Abubakar-Tunga, therefore, instructed all students to vacate the college immediately.
The commissioner said that the students, who were supposed to begin their examinations next week, were very angry.
“Their main target is the Provost; they burnt down his house and completely vandalised his car. When we visited the college, we only met the Registrar on the premises, but the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area had taken the Provost to the police station to protect his life.
“If not for the intervention of the DPO, the students would have lynched him,” he said.
He, however, praised the efforts of Sarkin Jega, who, according to him, used his influence to help calm the situation.
In an attempt to further defuse the tension and identify the root cause of the problem, the commissioner’s entourage requested that the rampaging students select and present ten representatives for dialogue.
During discussions with the students’ representatives, Abubakar-Tunga said the students outlined some of their grievances, which included the lack of accreditation for certain courses offered by the college.
“The students explained that the courses at the college only have state recognition, not federal, meaning that upon graduation, they will be awarded ordinary diplomas, not national diploma certificates.”
Other grievances, according to him, included the lack of toilets, absence of potable water, poor sanitary conditions, and bad leadership, among others.
The commissioner promised to set up a committee to investigate the main cause of the unrest and assess the extent of the damage. He assured that anyone found guilty, whether a student or a teacher, would face the full force of the law, regardless of their position.
He added that the college would remain closed for three weeks to a month, and assured that every student returning would be required to come with their parent and sign an undertaking.
“In this undertaking, each student must promise to be disciplined, display good character, and agree to pay for any damage caused by the students,” he said.
Credit: The PUNCH
