The Student Union of Government of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State yesterday denied involvement in the last weekend protest, which led to the closure of the institution by the management.
The students went on rampage last Saturday, over alleged poor condition of facilities at the University Medical Centre.
They were aggrieved that the Health centre could not give proper care to a 200-level Economic Education department student, Master Ojo Afolabi, who was involved in an accident.
But the SUG President, Comrade Oduyemi Adegbola, who addressed reporters at the press centre in Akure, the state capital, accused some people, whom he called miscreants, as the brain behind the crisis.
He described the said miscreants as student pensioners, who had been sent away from the University but still parading themselves as students.
Adegbola said those miscreants were the ones who misinformed the students about the motorcycle incident, which he said later led to the crisis.
He said it was rumoured that three students died instead of one.
The SUG President added that the rumour mongers went ahead to tell the students that this was caused by the lackadaisical attitude of the institution’s health centre workers.
According to him, “we are here to state our side of the story concerning the protest that rocked our school, over the death the of Afolabi, who died after being involved in accident involving two okada riders.
“The deceased, after the accident at Iwaro Oka junction in the afternoon of last friday, was rushed with the university ambulance to the General Hospital, Iwaro Oka, and later transferred to the Federal Medical Center, Owo on the bill of the university management, but he unfortunately gave up the ghost same day due to the fatality of the crash.
“The protest, however, began on Saturday, after the news of his death went round the campus and fueled by miscreants who misinformed the students that the deceased died at the university health center because he was not attended to by officials.
“The protest went bad by additional rumours by the so-called miscreants that three students had died again due to alleged lackadaisical attitude of workers at the center.
“The SUG leadership however made spirited efforts to calm frayed nerves but it was unfortunate that the miscreants had already hijacked the protest and destroyed properties within and outside the university premises.
“We totally condemn this violence that occasioned the protest in its entirety and call on the management and security agents to bring to book all those found culpable in the destruction of properties and a needless break in our unprecedented stable calendar.
“We also commiserate with the family of the deceased and pray God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“We also charge the Federal Road Safety Corps to construct Speed breakers in the Town, particularly in front of the school gate to reduce the recklessness of motorists and Okada riders.
“We regret the loss of life and property and appeal that all issues be resolved so that our law abiding students can return to school and back for the continuation of our hitherto uninterrupted academic calendar.”
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