NANS To Shutdown Marine School Of Technology In Burutu Over Alleged Embezzlement Of Accreditation Funds, Others

By Daniel Dafe

The Nigerian Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Delta State, has vowed to shutdown/ ground all academic activities at the Delta State School of Marine Technology Burutu (DESOMATECH ) over embezzlement of funds by the leadership of the institution.

A statement on Saturday by the body signed by Comr Madjemite Precious, Chairman, NANS Delta and Comr Epechi Bright, Secretary, NANS Delta, added that the association frowns at the spate of high handedness orchestrated by the management team of the institution.

While declaring a state of emergency on the school, NANS said that the leadership of the association has “yet again received series of public outcry by teeming students on the state of the Delta State School of Marine Technology Burutu.”

NANS recalled that during the last Delta State Senate/Executives joint council meeting of the body held at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, the joint council issued a communiqué appealing to all relevant authorities in the learning institution especially the Governing council led by its Chairman, Chief J.T Government and Engr. Akpoyibo Famous (Ag. Rector) led management team to as a matter of urgency address the salient issues raised.

The statement added: “NANS Delta State has been debriefed about the spate of corruption among the management team, where funds earmarked for the accreditation exercise of the ongoing programs in the institution has been allegedly diverted and misused, thus rendering our teeming students of the institution and their sponsors depressed as well as without certificate at the end of their academic pursuit.

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“We have also received reports of threats and abuse of power by the Dean of Student’s Affairs Division; Mr. Akubueze Kenny, Where he continued to threaten Nigerian students over their human rights of association and freedom of expression. We have also received several reports of continuous attempt to suppress the independent Students Union Government (SUG) of the institution, this we find contrary to the provisions and tenets of the law.

“Most recently, despite the unaccredited departments and fleets of agitations ongoing in the campus, of which the first semester exams were originally suspended on the grounds that the accreditation exercise goes through first to create space for the students, as we were reliably informed that the institution currently has two sets of ND 1 students. It is rather disheartening to note that our students are being coerced to sit for exams, knowing full well such efforts would be futile.”

Continuing, NANS said it is now clear that the management team of the school has refused to listen to the agitations and outcry of students, adding that they will therefore shut the school forthwith “pending when all issues of accreditation, internal students union rift, poor accommodation and security concerns will be resolved.”

Furthermore, they called on the general public, the Delta State Government through the Ministry of Higher Education, organized civil society and the press to come to the aide of the students in order to debase the rate of school dropouts in the state.

Attempts to speak with the school management proved abortive at the time of filing this report.