ONDO STUDENTS PROTEST OVER BURSARY AT OSOPADEC

BY DAYO JOHNSON
AKURE- OVER 1000 students from the oil producing communities in Ondo State, yesterday stormed the head office of the State Oil Areas Producing Development Commission, OSOPADEC, to protest the non-payment of their 2009/2010 bursary.

The students from Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government areas of the state on arrival, chased out workers of the commission, blocked the main entrance of the premises and made bonfires.

Vanguard learnt that some of the workers took refuge in houses and shops located close to the commission at Oba Ile area of the state.

It was learnt that some principal officers of the commission including the Permanent Secretary escaped through a bush path.

The protesting students were said to have destroyed the flowers in the premises and vowed not to leave the office until their 2009/2010 bursary was paid.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved students, Adesegun Ayoromade, said they were supposed to have been paid the bursary since December 2010.

Reacting to the development the Public Relations Officer of the commission, Ayo Igbasanmi attributed the delay in the payment to the new system of e-payment adopted for the exercise.