By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin has addressed leaders of various students union bodies across the 17 tertiary institutions in Oyo state under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) Joint Campus Committee assuring them of state government’s commitment to their welfare.
Hon. Ogundoyin gave the words of assurance while addressing the students who besieged the state Assembly on Tuesday just when the Speaker was done with series of his official engagements in his office and was about leaving the state Secretariat.
Hon. Ogundoyin was accompanied by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Miss Wasilat Adegoke.
The students comprised of SUG Presidents of tertiary institutions in Oyo State led by the Chairman, NANS JCC, Adegoke Ademola.
Oyo Speaker commended the students for conducting themselves peacefully, and assured them of the readiness of Governor Seyi Makinde to look into their welfare and also address their demands as Students Union bodies.
The Speaker promised to present the demands and requests of the protesting students before Governor Seyi Makinde.
“Let me start by acknowledging your support as Students Union bodies to our administration. The students population voted enmasse for us in 2019 and 2023 hence we cannot afford to neglect or abandon them. Your demands and requests have been noted and I will present them to Governor Seyi Makinde” Oyo Speaker said.
Earlier, the Chairman NANS JCC, Adegoke Ademola, said the students were unhappy because the Oyo state government had not reached out to them on their demands particularly in the area of giving the students sense of belonging in his government.
The students appealed to the Governor to expedite action on appointing a student affairs representative in his government in order to have a direct link in the present government.
“The Governor promised us Union buses. He is yet to fulfill his promise. We supported and gave him our mandate during the last election. But we are yet to feel much of his impact as students. We need welfare packages as students because things are hard hence our visit to the House of Assembly is to remind the Governor of some of his promises to Students Union bodies”, Ademola said.
