Polytechnic Students Protest Non-accreditation of Courses, Extortion in Nasarawa

Emmanuel Ukumba in Lafia

Current and ex-students of the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia, yesterday protested against the non-accreditation of all courses run by the institution.

The students who were in their thousands barricaded Lafia/Akwanga highway, carrying with them placards with different inscriptions that read: ‘No Course Is Accredited’, ‘We Are Tired of Stories’, ‘Our Certificates Are Not Recognised’, among others.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, spokesman of the protesting students, Umar Abdullahi, alleged that the management has been collecting N2, 000 per student for accreditation of the institution’s courses since 2013 whereas no single course has been accredited so far.

He said: “All courses in the institution have lost accreditation since 2013 and the government through the management was not making any effort towards that.

“Those who graduated from the institution find it difficult to get admission or employment because the certificates are not recognised.”

However, it took the intervention of the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Abdullahi Agwai, and security personnel to calm the protesters.

When contacted on phone for reaction, the acting Rector of the polytechnic, Augustine Ali-Gabu, could neither return calls nor reply text messages sent to him.