The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Delta State was in turmoil Thursday morning as angry students of the institution invaded the campus and grounded academic activities over alleged poor learning condition.
Scores of the students were armed with placards and some were hung on the gates, bearing their grievances and anger.
The inscriptions on the placards included: “Mrs Vice Principal, bring your daughter to PTI Female Hostels”, “Mr Principal, we live with snakes”, “Our cleaners are dying, pay them”, and “Our N2000, EFCC please help!” among others.
The gates of the institute which is located in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, were shut to prevent the students from gaining entrance to the complex.
As a result, some of the protesting students were seen making frantic efforts to jump over the fence into the campus.
Amid the melee, no member of the management of the institution was available to debunk the students’ grouses.
But the aggrieved academicians said the poor state of the academic environment was pathetic and unbecoming of such specialised federal institution.
One of the protesting students, who identified himself as George Madu, decried the horrible condition of the female hostel.
He said between 12 and 48 students squat in a room originally meant to accommodate just eight students.
According to him, the students also live with reptiles in both the male and female hostels, adding that it was a long time the hostels were fumigated.
Madu said, “Our demands are provision of a conducive hostel for the female students; imagine about 48 students living in a room and yet they all paid accommodation fee of N10,500 each.
“The hostels need fumigation and cutting of the grasses because right now, we are living with snakes.”
The students also asked the management of the institution to refund their sports fees, adding that they have been living in darkness without electricity.
“The management should also refund our N2,000 sports fees.
“We do not have electricity to work in the laboratory, they should increase the two hours’ power supply in the campus,” Madu reiterated.
A female student identified as Aikhoje Brume, fumed at the management’s lacklustre attitude to fixing the problems on campus.
According to her, “The state of the female hostel is very bad; they have not fumigated it for about six months that we resumed the session.
“In my room, we are 15 students which is originally supposed to be for eight people; now some are sleeping on the floor,” she lamented.
The aggrieved students vowed to continue with the protest until their demands were met.
The authorities of the school were yet to issue a statement as at the time of filing this report.
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