From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Nasarawa State Governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule, has directed the Rector of the Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic (IMAP), Lafia, Dr Justina Kotso, to fish out those involved in the recent students’ unrest, which led to the destruction of property at the institution.
Gov Sule gave the directive on Friday, shortly after inspecting the level of damage caused at the polytechnic during the students rampage.
According to the governor, his administration will not take the situation lightly, since education remains a cardinal objective of the government, especially technical education, which has the potential to impact skills on youths in the state towards self-reliance.
He stated that his administration will not condone any act capable of taking the state backward, considering the huge resources government was committing in turning around the education sector.
“It’s unfortunate that we are having this problem at a time we are supporting education. It has taken us some steps backward. But we are determined not to allow anybody to take us back. We will continue to do our best.
“We are all students at one point or the other, if we had destroyed all the institutions, which institutions will some of you attend? Whoever has done this, does not mean well for the students, as well as Nasarawa State.
“My own children have finished school, they are not going to school here. It’s not about me. It’s about the poor person who cannot afford to send his child anywhere else but this school. And they are destroying the future of that child,” he said.
The governor who described the actions of the students as unnecessary and uncalled for, urged the Students’ Union (SU) at the institution, to assist the school authority, by fishing out those suspected to have masterminded the protest.
The governor equally warned fraudulent staff of the institution, who may have masterminded the destruction of the ICT centre, in their selfish bid to sustain the use of fake receipts, stressing that his administration will not condone such acts.
He, therefore, directed that the institution remain closed for not more than one week, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations, as well as giving the authority at the institution to restore water supply back for use by students.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Bola Longe, disclosed that so far, 27 students have been arrested in connection with the protest, assuring that only those found to have actively engaged in the violent protest, will be sanctioned.
Recall that students of the state-owned polytechnic undertook a violent protest on Thursday, leading to the vandalization of the ICT centre, all the bore holes in the school, academic office, as well as the central administrative block, among others.
