Ondo Poly students to pay for N168m damages, says Akeredolu

The N168 million damages caused by protesting students of  Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGIPO) at  the institution would be paid for by them, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said on Thursday.
Akeredolu spoke  in Akure while receiving the report of the Committee of Inquiry on  the violent protest by students of the institution.
The four-man committee was set up on February 5  to look into the violent protest by the  students  on Jan. 22.
The students destroyed the school’s ICT centre, vehicles and other valuables of the institution while protesting the ‘No school fees, no exam’ policy  introduced by the management.
The governor, who  expressed surprise at the extent  of damage, said government’s  action would serve as a deterrent to others.
Akeredolu said that the students were expected to appreciate the  tools of learning put in place  for their sake  instead of destroying them.
“The ICT centre was already JAMB-compliant. Some of the students were found with computers and the students who are facing trial, if found guilty, will be made to pay for the crimes committed.
“Whatever it will take, the students will have to pay to the last kobo for it. Either they pay or they don’t come to school again.
“We will look into the report and agree on what each student will have to pay,” he said.
Earlier, Oyekan Arije, the Chairman of the committee, had described as unfortunate the  destruction of the institution’s properties  by the students.
Arije said that the panel met with all the stakeholders involved  to ascertain the cause of the crisis in the school and also received various memoranda to assist it  in its  findings.
He thanked the governor for the opportunity given them to serve in the  capacity, expressing the hope  that  government would make good use of their  recommendations  to avoid a recurrence.