OSUN STUDENT STIFF HEAD WITH THE GOVERNOR

Polytechnics Students in Osun State are preparing for legal battle against the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola alongside the state police force after their protest against their staying out of school for over four months was violently interrupted and were teargassed by the police, which led to the death of three students.
This was make known in a write-up posted on social media by some members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS.
The state owned tertiary institutions lecturers declared an indefinite strike for non-payment of salary by the State government.
In a write-up tagged “ATTEMPTED EXTINCTION OF Nigerian students voice in Osun state by Aregbesola: NANS POSITION” posted in walls and pages of social media, the students stated why they embarked on the grievance resolution and also expressed their shock over the manner at which the protest was halted violently by the state riot police.
The content contained in the write-up says “The entire Nigerian Students family is still very shocked by the reckless and brutal assault and attack on Nigerian students by the Nigerian Police Force and government Agencies under the watch and instructions of the Osun State Governor in Osogbo yesterday, which shows the highest degree of leadership irresponsibility and inhuman posture of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
“Nigerian Students of some tertiary institutions in Osun State which include Osun State Polytechnic Iree, Osun State Polytechnic Esa-Oke, Osun State College of Education Ilesha and Osun State College of Education Ila Orangun, that have remained at home wasting over four months, due to the inability of the State Government of Osun to resolve the current industrial dispute between her and the teaching staffers of the institutions. The students however, having waited patiently enough and had on several occasions appealed to the state government to resolve this dispute, embarked on a peaceful protest to call the attention of the osun government to their plights in the most civilised manner and global best practices guaranteed by the students movement modus operand, but to our utter disappointment, the government of Osun state unleashed terror on the students during which several students were injured and three lost their lives in a pitiable manner in the water.
“One is therefore made to wonder what manner of legacies is the Governor of Osun state trying to put in place for coming generations, when he has permanently short the door of his conscience against Nigerians students.
The students, nevertheless, seek for parents and well meaning Nigerians that understand the value of education to come to their aids
“We therefore use this medium to call on all well-meaning people of Osun State and Nigerians to rise against this senselessness in the position of authority, which is a reminiscence of the infamous military oppression”.
However, NANS made clear their position on the matter as they prepare to institute a legal action against the state and her Police Force
“We in the National Association of Nigerian Students will not accept this. We will not surrender our liberty and future on the alter of socio-political oppression.
The national secretariat of NANS having duly consulted with other civil society organisations with supportive mandate with NANS have resolved to constitute a three man committee to visit Osun State to investigate the matter more adequately and report to the National secretariat of NANS in 7days on the next line of action particularly as instituting a legal action against the Nigerian Police Force and the government of the state of Osun.
A news medium called The Lead reported that “when the protest was becoming violent with the manner the students were harassing passers-by and shop owners, the riot policemen were deployed to disperse the protesters.
The Lead included in its report that some of the students sustained serious injury while the policemen arrested some of them and also seized some Students Union Buses.
Reacting to the development, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola explained that the state government was working tirelessly to ensure the lecturers are paid soon. The Lead reports.
Meanwhile, there has been speculation that some of the institutions have called off the strike following the students’ protest.