By Ushang Ewa
Students of the Cross River State College of Health Technology (COHTECH) in Calabar Monday morning protested the non release of funds from management to conduct Student’s Union Government elections and their welfare.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that the students had locked the gate which is the only entrance to the institution located along Mary Slessor avenue in Calabar demanding that their demands be met.
The institution was temporarily shut down with the Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Jane Eneregbu telling CrossRiverWatch that the students were the architect of the their own problems.
She said that: “They say they want SUG Government. The management in July released four hundred thousand Naira (NGN400,000) for them to conduct their elections.
“And people who were disqualified because of their past records, they cannot contest; they organized themselves and went and disrupted the elections destroyed the ballot box (and) burnt the papers.
“Now they want management to bring out another NGN400,000 again, from where?”
She said the students have a very long line of complains which “does not hold any water,” and disclosed the running battle between both parties on accommodation issues.
“They are living in the hostels, they don’t want to pay hostel accommodation.
“The girls have not paid for the accommodation, the boys only one student in the hostel has paid.
“They said their mattresses in the boys hostel are infected with bed bugs.
“The management just fumigated the hostel while they were on holiday. Then you (students) go home and you come back with beg bugs in your clothes, then you infect the mattresses.
“When you pay your hostel accommodation, then we will use that money and fumigate again. Where will we get money to fumigate?” She said.
When asked his much it cost, Mrs. Jane said that the hostel accommodation was a different sub head since it was optional and not every student was staying in the hostel as well as management policy that it can’t force students to do so.
Some students who spoke to our correspondent however disagreed with the management arguing that the school does not take issues concerning their welfare serious.
One of the protesters said “this is supposed to be a tertiary institution but come and see how all our hostels are infested with bed bugs and the school is waiting for us to give them money to fumigate. Where is that done. Even money for our elections, they are very reluctant to release. We will protest until they answer us.”
CrossRiverWatch gathered that tje school has been abruptly shut and all the students asked to go home.