Following the violence that erupted on Monday, the Governing Council of the Federal School of Training (Technical) Akoka, Lagos, has ordered an indefinite closure of the establishment.
The embattled provost, Dr. Wahab Azeez, revealed the council’s resolution to PUNCH Metro throughout a phone interview on Tuesday.
Recall that the continuing management disaster escalated on Monday when movies emerged displaying protesting college students vandalising the official automobiles of the governing council members, who reportedly narrowly prevented being bodily attacked.
In earlier interviews with PUNCH Metro, the scholars claimed that their protests had been in response to poor campus welfare and the remedy they obtained from the provost.
A pupil, talking anonymously out of concern of victimisation, despatched a voice be aware to our correspondent claiming that cops “got here and began taking pictures college students.” The coed additional alleged that the varsity administration had invited the police to the campus.
“Through the assembly, they began throwing tear fuel. The provost ordered them to throw tear fuel and so they arrested some workers (members). They had been beating the workers (members),” he alleged.
In his defence, the embattled provost claimed in a separate interview with our correspondent that the protesting college students had been being incited by workers members eyeing his place.
“These college students who’re protesting are being instigated by these workers members eyeing my place. For the previous 5 years since I used to be appointed because the Provost, I’ve by no means had a problem with college students as a result of I used to be a former Pupil Union chief and I do know what the scholars need,” the provost advised PUNCH Metro. This declare, nonetheless, was denied by each the scholars and a few workers members of the school.
To quell Monday’s violence and restore regulation and order, the state police command arrested 32 suspects for allegedly attacking the Federal Authorities inspection workforce.
Confirming the arrest by way of a publish on X.com, the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, mentioned, “A workforce arrange by the Minister of Training arrived on the faculty at the moment (Monday) to mediate the continuing deadlock. Nevertheless, (the) workers (members) of the school aided by college students attacked the workforce from Abuja, damaging over 5 automobiles and the Provost’s official quarters.
“Not carried out, the rioting workers and college students additionally blocked all entrances out and in of the school. The police arrived on the scene and restored normalcy after being attacked with stones and sachets of water by the rioters.
“In the meantime, 32 suspects have been arrested whereas males of the Nigeria Police Power from Space Command, Surulere stay on (the) floor to make sure that the restored peace stays intact.”
Revealing the indefinite closure of the school, the provost said that the governing council had initiated an investigation to find out the circumstances surrounding the scholars’ violent rampage, which resulted in property destruction.
He mentioned, “The faculty has been shut due to the violent rampage of the scholars yesterday (Monday).
“The council continues to be on the bottom. They are going to resolve what line of motion to take in regards to the incident. The rampage must be probed as a result of they should know the quick and distant reason behind the disaster that led to the vandalisation of faculty property and amenities.
“They (the governing council) got here to have the inaugural assembly of the council. Because the council was inaugurated, the school additionally elected its six members.”
In line with him, some school staffers had been partly liable for the poor state of the varsity after they had been mentioned to have refused “the school to function. They didn’t enable any administrative work to happen. They ship the cleaners away from the hostel.”
The faculty is anticipated to stay closed till the investigation is concluded.
