Ten years after, former students of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, are yet to get their N15,000 SIWES allowance that should have been paid back then by the Industry Training Fund (ITF). 

In Nigeria, it is required for technical students in their penultimate year of any tertiary institution to go on industrial training. This training is organised for students to gain practical and field experience in their course of study. 

Founded in 1971, the mission of ITF is to set and regulate training standards and provide need-based human capital development intervention. ITF is a “Grade ‘A’ parastatal operating under the Federal Ministry of industry, Trade and Investment”. 

Upon the completion of this training and documentation, students are to be paid N15,000 on a pro rata basis. But UI students in the Faculty of Agriculture who went for this training in 2011 have not been paid till date.

FIJ understands that the number of students in that PYTP set is between 230 and 250, meaning the total amount of money involved is a minimum of N3.45million.  

Peter Amao, a native of Oyo state who studied Agronomy and graduated from the University Of Ibadan in 2012, said: “We filled all necessary details such as our account numbers, account name, bank and the rest.

“We submitted our log book to the ITF office and after the whole programme we were expecting the allowance, but up till this moment, my colleagues and I we’ve not been paid. I’m very sure all my set, we have not be given that particular allowance. The set before us was given, likewise the one after us.”

Like Amao, Adelabu Adeola, an alumnus of theDepartment of Agric Economics, undertook the six-month industrial training but was not paid the N15,000.  

“When they paid the set after us, they said it was a mistake, that our set was supposed to be paid at that time but they were still doing something,” he told FIJ.

“For us, the industrial training closes when you’re in 400 level and you usually got paid when you’re in 500 level. So at the time when we were supposed to get paid, it was the set after us that got paid. And after that time, people had graduated so nobody was following up on anything again. This was the excuse given by ITF.”

Another Alumnus of UI, Seyi Osuntogun, who graduated from the Department of Animal Science in the same faculty, said a number of students could not speak out at the time for fear of retribution.

Seyi believes management of the university cannot claim to be unaware that students have not been paid their allowance.

The story is not different for David who, prior to his indsutrial training at the University of Ibadan, had also undergone industrial training during his time as a student of the Kwara State College of Education.

“I’ve been to college of education, and I was paid ITF money I think twice; that’s as far back as 2003,” he said.

“The way the University of Ibadan was eager to take us to farm is not the way they were eager to ensure that we processed our pay. But I think in our set, there was a case of backlog and continuous rumour that our money was delayed because of log book.” 

GAME OF DENIALS

According to the details on the website of University of Ibadan, Professor Tolu Ososanya was the Chairman of Practical Year Training Programme (PYTP) as of 2017. When FIJ contacted him, he was defensive and refused to answer, saying he wouldn’t entertain our inquiry. He also said he was bo longer theChairman of the programme.

“I was the former Chairman and I handed over to the new Chairman two years ago, so calling me in regards to PYTP now is out of order,” he said. “The students know where to complain to — not to journalists. They know the appropriate quarters to channel their complaints to.”

In line with Ososanya’s directive, FIJ contacted Dr. K. A Thomas, the current Chairman of UI’s PYTP. He claimed ignorance, saying he “wasn’t there in 2011 so I don’t have any answers for you. I wasn’t aware.” 

Again, FIJ contacted Professor Amos Omoloye, the Coordinator of PYTP in 2011,but he said: “I was not in charge of payment of people. I don’t have information about who was paid. If you want information about that I can direct you to the SIWES (ITF) office; they will be able to give you accurate information about what happened.”

FIJ placed a phone call to the Ibadan Area Manager of ITF, who simply identified himself as Mr. Peter. Like others before him, he was non-commital.

“I don’t think it is true. I don’t have the records here. I advise you write to the Director-General,” he said.

“There are a lot of procedures in the payment. The schools are expected to have verified all the log books and sent them to the appropriate department for proper verification before payments are made and so on so forth. They (affected students) should write so I can table it.”

When FIJ called the official line of ITF, the person on the line refused to identify himself but said: “If you’re calling from Lagos I want to know which part of Lagos so I will refer you to our office near by so that they will give you all that you need.”