Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayela State, Dr. Seiyaboh Idah, has slammed critics blaming the Management of the school following the drowning of a student.

The deceased identified as Adekunle Stephen, studying Public Administration, was said to have drowned at a River in the school and died before help could come to him leading to clashes between students and the school management.

Idah who spoke at the school’s campus in Ekowe expressed regret over the death of the student noting that claims by his critics that the victim died because  the school management failed to provide potable water on campus was not true.

He disclosed that the desire of the victim to learn swimming skills led him to the river where he later drowned adding that the late Adekunle was rescued twice from drowning before the unfortunate incident.

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According to him, despite consistent warnings by the school management against going to the river, students including persons, who knew nothing about swimming, still found their ways to the river.

Idah, who said that it was unfortunate and irresponsible for critics to capitalise on the misfortune and peddle falsehood against the school management, accused some unidentified politicians if working to frustrate the progress of the school.

He said, “Enough is enough. What is this? Allow me to do any work. Allow me to make progress. I had matriculation. Some people said it would not happen. But I went ahead to do it. I am not a politician.

“Leave me to do my job. Don’t distract me by all of these things. It is enough. Am not here to mange crisis, I’m here to manage a polytechnic and make it move forward but people are just bringing crisis from all directions at every given opportunity.

“We are saddened by it but people should please not use this as an opportunity to fight us. You are supposed to be helping us get out of this not fighting us. So we are setting the facts very clear. We are aware that people are being sponsored to fight us with this”.