The management of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, has described as ‘false’ reports that the institution has been shut.
The management made the clarification in a statement made available to OYOINSIGHT on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the statement, activities were only disrupted by a protest staged by students.
The statement read:
The attention of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igboora has been drawn to a misleading information being circulated by some online media about a peaceful protest by Students of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora on Monday, February, 2021.
It is therefore, necessary to put the record straight in order to prevent members of the public from being misguided.
The general public are hereby notified that Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora has not been shut, the School is still in session but academic activities was only disrupted by student.
Similarly, the management express surprise at the hasty decision of the Students Union Government of the institution to disrupt academic activities without first presenting its agitations to the management of the institution.
According to the Students Union president Comrade Salahudeen Hameed Olasunkanmi who spoke with the Acting Registrar of the institution said, “the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of stakeholders to the poor funding of education.”
It is however, worrisome that some individuals for reasons best known to them decided to mislead members of the public by distorting the facts under whatever guise in order to bring the good name of the management of the institution to a disrepute.
It should be noted that the Management has never turned deaf hears to the needs of Students and other materials that would make the stay of students on campus an enjoyable one.
For the records, Students of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora can attest to the fact that they are usually treated as very important personalities, while students’ matters are giving priority attention within the available resources.
It is therefore not true that poor treatment was meted out to students of the institution or that the students were protesting as a result of neglect in the hand of the school management.
With respect to amenities, it is no gainsaying that the institution has state of the art facilities for teaching and learning, while some are due for upgrading, but efforts are underway to fix such.
Besides, the institution has up to 10 boreholes that supply water to the various departments in the college, while the health centre of the institution which was donated by the Ibarapa Central Local Government, has experienced personnel that provide medical assistance to ailing students.
Also, the institution is connected to the national grid and generators are available at the various departments for power supply.
According to a release by the acting registrar of the institution, Mr. Paul Oyediran, which was made available to the press by the Public Relations officer of the Institution, Opeyemi Olawore, the management wishes to put on record that the welfare of students and that of its leaders have never been handled with levity, as the management pledges its untiring effort to students’ welfare and sound teaching and training of the youths towards innovation, food sufficiency and self- employment.
The management however, calls for patience on the part of the students, while urging the students Union Leadership to present its agitations.
We also appeal to online media to always verify their news reporting and as well follow ethical standard in their news reportage.
