College assures female students of safety, says installation of cameras in their interest

THE management of Federal College of Education, ( Technical), Akoka, Lagos, has assured students of their safety, saying the school is committed to their well- being and convenience on campus.

Speaking against the backdrop of claims by protesting female students of the institution that the management is using the newly installed Closed Circuit Television ( CCTV) system in their hostels to watch their nakedness, the Provost, Dr. Wahab Ademola Azeez, said the installation was purely for security reasons and not to breach the privacy of students.

Azeez clarified that the protest was against the ejection of some illegal occupants in one of the halls of residence, contrary to reports in a national newspaper ( not The Guardian) that the protest was as a result of the CCTV camera installed almost everywhere in the female hostel, thereby denying occupants of personal privacy.

The report alleged that the protesting students accused the school management of watching their nakedness since the installation of cameras.

However, the provost debunked the claims, saying the purported installation of cameras is still ongoing in the college and not only in the female hostel.

Azeez said the move was not intended to intrude on students’ privacy, but to curb attacks in hostels, especially female hostels.

He said: “The college had experienced breaches of female hostels by hoodlums on several occasions and with recent security challenges, the college processed and obtained TETFUND sponsorship to install CCTV cameras on the perimeter fences of the college as well as approaches to buildings, including male and female hostels and not in the rooms, bathrooms or toilets areas.

The installation of the CCTV system is still underway and not active yet, therefore, no student’s privacy could have been breached by the system as it was an installation done purely for security reasons,” Azeez added.

President of the Student’s Union Government, Odekilekun Mubarak said the protest was against total blackout and poor water supply in the college.