Hundreds of students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, in Oyo State, staged protests on Monday against the refusal of the institution to mobilise them for national service.
The national service, conducted by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, is an avenue for graduates from universities and polytechnics to serve their fatherland. However, some graduates of the institution who are due for mobilisation on Monday protested against the refusal of the institution to mobilise them for the national service.
The students on Monday shut the main gate of the institution and other entrances of the institution.
The protesting students called on the institution and the NYSC to do the needful.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Alhaji Soladoye Adewole, while speaking with DAILY POST noted that the problem is not peculiar to the institution.
Adewole, in a telephone conversation, told DAILY POST that the matter is being looked into.
According to him: “The matter is not peculiar to the Polytechnic Ibadan. It affected all schools that are running part-time programmes.
“In the past, those who did ND part-time programmes and went for HND regular programmes usually went for NYSC. But now the policy has changed.
“It is not peculiar to us. Some of them did their ND on part-time. They did go for NYSC in the past. Now, the NYSC said no. The management has gone to the NYSC office. The matter is being looked into.”