Students of Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu on Tuesday stormed Government House, Asaba to protest delay in accrediting the institute after 11 years of establishment.
The students, led by Blessing Government; called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to salvage the school from decay.
Speaking on Tuesday, Blessing Government lamented absence of basic infrastructure in the school, which according to him, has been making learning difficult in the school.
He also said the school lacks permanent structures, hostel accommodation, means of transportation and other basic necessities.
“Our school has been on for 11 years with no basic infrastructure. We have 21 programs running, yet none of them is accredited.
“No hostel accommodation. Our permanent camp is dilapidated, with no sign of work to be done at any moment from now.
He stated that students who graduated from the institution have been termed unqualified for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme due to non-accreditation of the institute.
“Lots of students have graduated from this institution, but cannot go for NYSC. And even when we go to other schools, we are denied admission because the school we are coming from is not accredited”, he added.
The students carrying placards with varying inscriptions such as “we want infrastructural development, I want to go for NYSC, accreditation of our school programs, etc” laid siege at the Government House gate late into the night on Tuesday.
The Public Relations Officer of the school, Kanbofa Teitei reportedly said, while the agitations of the students were genuine, the school authority has no knowledge of the protest.
“We have no knowledge of any protest, they’re on it by themselves,” he said.
He further stated that the school authority will meet before the end of the week to discuss the situation.
The Chief of Staff to the Delta State Government House, Ovie Agas, while addressing the students, called for calm and assured that the state government will address the issues.
The Delta State School of Marine Technology was founded in 2006 during the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.