Mgt Addressing Students’ Demands, RSCOHMT Provost Clarifies

The Provost of the Rivers State College of Health and Management Technology (RSCOHMT), Prof. Franklin Nlerum, has assured students of the institution who protested, yesterday, over poor power and water supply challenges on campus that management was working to restore normalcy in the school.
Nlerum had addressed the students while commending them for their peaceful disposition during the protest, which spilt into Ikwerre Road within the Rumueme axis leading to huge traffic congestion along the route, yesterday morning, stretching into the night hours.
The college provost apologised over the situation as he sought for patience and dialogue so as to return the campus to normalcy.
When The Tide visited the college campus to ascertain the situation of things, the school gate was shut, barring lecturers and visitors into the school premises.
Protesting students, carrying placards, also went into Ikwerre Road, stopping traffic to register their grievances.
The President, National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), Comrade Zechariah George, said the issues on ground had been on for long, adding that the management of the institution had remained passive to students’ plights.
“This is happening at a time the students want to start exams, and there is no water and power supply for over a week. There is no way students can write exams well under such situation”, he said.
George said the sanitation condition of the hostels were not healthy and can lead to a pandemic, if not addressed.
He urged the school’s management to restore power and water supplies, and shift the exams so as to allow the students settle ahead of the exams.
A representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the school’s Student Union Government (SUG), Comrade Godswill Ugbojizor, blamed the situation on what he called non-proactive response of the school management.
He said, “We meet with them often, and it’s not as if the situation began today. For over two weeks, we have not had power and water on campus; so, the students are tired of what they are suffering”.
Aside the poor sanitation condition on campus, Ugbojizor told The Tide that they lack equipment, hostels, adding that the school premises was always flooded during heavy rains.
“If it rains now, you will see the whole water in Rumueme flowing into the school compound”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the college’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Dr. Ilomah Richards, has called for accreditation of courses in the institution.
“We have actually lost accreditation of all courses in the school. Besides that, we are one of the few schools that do not enjoy the TETFUND interventions,” he said.
The ASUP chairman also pleaded with the state government to revamp the infrastructure in the college.
Richards urged the Visitor of the college and state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to provide subvention and funds to improve laboratory equipment, staff offices and hostels of the college.

By: Kevin Nengia