By G9ija.com
Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Oyo State Governor yesterday, released a video showing his encounter with protesting students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomosho, co-owned with the Osun State Government.
The aggrieved students had on Wednesday staged a protest to the state Government House over the closure of their school for eight months.
An initial video of the protesting which was has since gone viral, drew criticism against Ajimobi.
Reacting to the video, Special Assistant to the governor on Communication and Strategy, Yomi Layinka released the new video.
In the new video, Ajimobi frowned at the “unruly” attitude of the students.
Ajimobi was heard saying, “I was in a meeting when they told me students are out here and I suspended my meeting to address you but you students are acting unruly.”
The angry students interrupted him but, Ajimobi who will not condone their behaviour snapped back, “Listen to me, I don’t believe most of you are students.”
Speaking interchangeably in Yoruba and English language, the governor said, “if all of you are truly students, you would listen to me.
“If you are not interested in talking to me, then you shouldn’t have come here.
“If you say you are a student, one of your responsibilities is to have respect,” he said again as the angry students interrupted.
At this point, the students started chanting protest and insulting songs against the governor.
Irked by the students’ attitude, Ajimobi said, “If this is the way you want to talk to me then I will not address you and if you want to turn the situation into a chaotic affair, we are ready for you.
“Some of you should have a little respect for constituted authority, if you recognise me as governor of Oyo State, is it proper for me to have left my engagement to address you and you start insulting me?”
Speaking further, Ajimobi said it was not by fighting and being unruly that solutions were found.
“Gone are the days when students are unruly, now students are engaging. Anytime you are going any where, you go with the aim of engaging. It is not for you to come here and be singing offensive and threatening songs.
“You should be orderly, if you have no respect for the governor of a state, then what kind of students are you?
“You came here while I was having a meeting, I suspended it to address you and you all started insulting to me.”
At this point, the governor demanded an apology from the students which they instantly did.
Following their apology, Ajimobi pleaded with the aggrieved students for patience, saying efforts were on to resolve the issues that led to LAUTECH’s closure.
“I spoke to the governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and we agreed that let’s help these students; they have been away for eight month.
“We agreed to provide N250m each to settle the debt that led to the closure of the school”, he added.
He further urged the students to be more engaging, stressing that his administration “is looking for every opportunity to improve on the quality of our education.
“They must open the school before the end of this month.”