……Accuses Government of Trafficking Fake News concerning false claim of bursary and scholarship payment
By Okpor Murphy Onyekachukwu
Tertiary students of Ondo State origin on Thursday stormed the Oba-Ile offices of the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Corperation (O.S.O.P.A.D.E.C) to protest he delayed payment of their scholarship and bursary awards.
The students who mainly were Indigenes of the Petroleum-rich Coastal Communities of the State denounced the falsely celebrated payments of the awards carried in state-controlled media. Weeks back, accusing the government of Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu and OSOPADEC chairman of trafficking in “fake news”.
The students started massing on the premises of OSOPADEC since the beginning of the week. But they overwhelmed the management and staff of the agency on Thursday.
Efforts and appeals by the chairman OSOPADEC, Mr. Gbenga Edemah, did not convince the protesting students to retreat and disperse. On the contrary they sang and denounced the failed promises of the agency and the Government.
The protesting students said that OSOPADEC had gained notoriety in deploying the information outlets of the state to address projects and programmes that have not been accomplished as if the deeds were already done.
The students claimed that a huge fun-fair was organized months back; they said Mr. Edemah, a lawyer and a former Lawmaker, declared to the entire World that bursaries and scholarships were being paid. The students said that nothing like such ever happened.
On the contrary, they disclosed that Edemah, his Family Members, especially his Father-in-law and other cronies have enjoyed contracts running into millions of Naira while the indigene student and other people in the coastal communities get nothing.
Students often get bursary and bursary awards ranging between #150,000 to #250,000 depending in Disciplines and Institutions.
The students said that” OSOPADEC and the government of Ondo State excel in using Fake news and propaganda while doing nothing to bring succor to the people”.
The road linking the coastal towns of Ondo State with Epe and Lekki in Lagos State is one other project they claimed the state flagged –off while no major work has been done till date.
However, Edemah also a prince, told the police on Thursday to assist in dislodging the protesters, the students did not bulged. The police came in a patrol van, they tried to persuade the students to go back to their different schools, their pleas fell on deaf ears. The police returned to base. The students held the grounds till the close of work at about 4.00pm; the demonstration did not snowbell into violence.