The Nasarawa State House of Assembly says that it will ensure that perpetrators of the recent students protests at Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic (IMAP), Lafia, are brought to book to prevent a reoccurrence and serve as deterrent to others.
The house also said it would conduct thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the protest.
Mr Daniel Oga-Ogazi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, said this when the body visited the management of the polytechnic in Lafia on Tuesday.
Oga-ogazi said that the visit was aimed at getting first-hand information from the management of the institution on the students’ protest that led to the destruction of property worth millions of Naira.
”First and foremost, we sympathise with you and the government over the students’ protest that led to the destruction of property worth millions of Naira.
” We thank God that no life was lost. We condemn the protest in its entirety.
” We are here on an oversight function in order to rub minds with you so as to get first-hand information on the students protest which will help us to carry out a thorough investigation.
“We will do our findings and make a report, an implementable report, we will ensure that those behind the act are brought to book to serve as to deterrent others, ” he said.
He assured the management of the institution of the committee’s support to enable them to succeed for the overall development of the education sector.
” Their target is to bring you down, we will not allow it. We will draw the attention of Gov. Abdullahi Sule to support you in fixing the Information and Communication Technology( ICT) destroyed among other facilities,” the chairman said.
He commended the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Justina Kotso, for following due process in the discharge of her duties and urged her to sustain the tempo.
He advised the alumni of the school to partner with the management of the institution and government in order to bring speedy development to the institution.
Earlier, Dr Kotso commended the committee for being up and doing in improving on the standard of education in the state.
” I want to commend you for sympathising with us over the unfortunate students protest.
” I want to disclose here that the allegations that the management has closed school fees portal and increased school fees were false.
” We did not increase students school fees and we did not close the portal, ” she said.
She explained how the school ICT system was helping in payment of students school fees,thereby blocking leakages in the institution.
She commended Gov. Sule for supporting the activities of the school and called for the sustenance of the gesture.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee alongside members of the management of the institution inspected the new and old administrative blocks, library, School of Engineering Technology, electrical/ installation workshop, ICT centre and the security outpost, among other facilities destroyed by the students.
NAN also reports that the students had on March 11 staged a protest over alleged closure of school fees portal and increment in school fees by the school management, during which they destroyed property worth millions of Naira. ( NAN)