Following the concern raised by students of tertiary institutions in Ogun State over accumulated house rents during the period of the lockdown, the State government has promised to resolve the issue with the landlords.
The government, through the office of the Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Students’ Matters, Comrade Azeez Adeyemi held a virtual meeting with Students’ Union leaders of schools in the state with the pledged to intercede for the students and ensure that their interest is protected.
The students’ community in the state had raised the concern about the payment of their house rents and hostel charges for the period of the lockdown, lamenting that many of them are not on campuses “and cannot be made to pay for services they didn’t enjoy.”
But speaking to journalists in Abeokuta, the State capital on Friday, Adeyemi disclosed that the state through his office would meet with the members of the Community Development Associations (CDAs) to table the plights and complaints of the students before them with the view of resolving the issue.
Adeyemi assured the students that the government was addressing the issue “and very soon the students’ will and agreement will be reached between the government and the landlords”.
His words, “As a State, we are not only concerned about the welfare of the citizens, but we are particularly interested in the overall prosperity everyone. This is why the government decided to quickly intervene in the issue of payment of house rents raised by the students.
“We are aware that the students are agitated about the payment of house rents and other utility bills that may have accumulated during this period of lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of Coronavirus.
“We are also aware that some landlords are already planning on how to enforce the collection of their house rents, but our duty as a responsible government is to see how this issue will be resolved making sure that it is a win-win situation at the end of the day”, Adeyemi added.
