Ismaeel Uthman
FIVE students of Osun State College of Education, Ilesa were reportedly shot yesterday by a gun wielding man during a peaceful protest on the conversion of the college to University of Ilesa.
The gunman, known as Ifa, according to some of the students, was riding a motorcycle when he ran into them.
It was gathered that the suspected hoodlum who was forced to stop by the barricade mounted by the students, brought out gun and shot directly into the protesting students.
Femi Ibirogba, one of the students, said: “This guy was coming from town on a motorcycle and he ran into us. He was forced to stop because we have mounted a barricade. Immediately he stopped, he brought out a gun and opened fire on us. Five students among us were injured.”
The injured students were reportedly taken to the Wesley Guild hospital, Ilesa.
Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incidence.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the students were protesting what they described as secrecy on the conversion of the college to university by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration.
According to the students, the conversion process has been shrouded in secrecy, saying that they do not know their fate when the university takes off.
Speaking with the medium, a student of English Department of the college, Segun Ibirogba said: “We don’t know anything about the conversion of the college to a University. All we know is that the college is being converted to a university. The terms and condition are not known to us.
“The staff union, management and student union were not carried along. The whole thing looks suspicious. The academic staff has requested for the university’s establishment law but the government could not provide.”
A worker of the college, Bose Afolabi, accused the state government of being too political and insensitive to the plight of the workers of the institution.
Afolabi said it is wrong for the government to want to do something that will affect the workers without carrying them along.
She said: “The students are protesting against the conversion of the college to a full-fledged university which has been shrouded in secrecy.
“A lot of entry has been made to the state government to release the laws establishing the university but the government didn’t respond. Students felt agitated when they asked them to show willingness to convert their institution to a university that has not been accredited by National University Commission (NUC), and they are asking a lot of questions and when these questions are not answered, they resulted to staging a peaceful protest.”
