Anambra Varsity boils as Police quell student’s unrest over hike in tuition

Hundreds of placard carrying students of Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Igbariam campus formerly known as Anambra state University, yesterday disrupted the traffic flow from the Enugu-Onitsha expressway to the university and the bye pass road from Ukwulu to the university for several hours, reports www.odogwublog.com .

The protesters from Igbariam campus appearing in a war like mood carried inscriptions such as reduce our school fees, enough is enough and our fees is the highest in Nigeria and defied all pleas to give way for road users until a team of fierce looking policemen used tear gas to contain the situation.

The students demanded to see Governor Willy Obiano or there would be no access road for everybody insisting that their fees must be reduced before they vacate the highway.

They were protesting alleged increment in their school fees and the alleged shutting down of the school portal to prevent them from paying their dues. The SUG President is Comrade Samuel Udonkwo. He could not speak to this report when he was contacted but promised to get back to the reporter as they were in a meeting with Commissioner for Education, Prof Kate Omenugha.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Education Anambra state, Prof Kate Omenugha confirmed Governor Willie Obiano has intervened as everything is under control.  She said a high powered delegation of the state government and that of the University management led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Fidelis Okafor and the Students Union Government met and resolved to have better channels of communication against what is obtainable now.

Prof Omenugha lamented that the what should be a peaceful protest by the students to express their discontentment over the intended closure of the University portal was hijacked by some hoodlums who created the confusion earlier.

She said there was no school tuition increment whatsoever as alleged but that the students were told the portal would be closed second of February and those who have not paid their fees felt it was so close and protested their discontentment which was hijacked.

‘’I am glad we are on top of the situation. We just finished a tripartite meeting , the government delegation ,management of the Institution and the Students Union Government (SUG) ‘’, adding that they have agreed to re-strategize for better information management which could be blamed for the protest.  She said every University has deadline for registration of courses and closure of the school portal and wondered why that of Anambra Varsity should be different.

But, the Vice chancellor of the university, Professor Fidelis Okafor lamented that his several efforts and attempts to address the demonstrators failed as only the genuine students were persuaded to go back, while the politically motivated students refused to give in.

According to the vice chancellor, some of the culprits were identified as members of the black axe cult group residing in a place he identified as the Obama Hostel in the outskirts of the university.

He said most of the rioters were first year students of the political science department of the university who have not even matriculated, and who were operating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Professor Okafor wondered why the students were agitating for a reduction in school fees that took effect over three years ago without protests and noted that the issue at hand before the protest was that of registration of students and closure of portal.

According to the vice chancellor, the university gave students two months from November 1^st 2014 to the 31^st of December of the same year to tidy up their registration on line.

After the deadline elapsed, its increased it to another two weeks and further one week to enable the students complete their registration.

He announced that the university also extended the lecture period for the first semester yielding to the demands of the students that the time was short, lamenting that the thank you from the students was the riot.

Professor Okafor reported that the atmosphere at the Uli Campus of the university was calm as students were busy paying their school fees and attending to their other needs.

In view of the situation, he urged all students to remain law abiding as disturbances have been quelled and normal academic activities in place.

He said as the situation stands, security operatives are on the alert to ensure that no further disturbances occurred.

On the welfare of the staff of the university, the VC noted with joy that the school no longer owing any salary to its workers, but called on government to work towards increasing the university’s subvention.

The Anambra state police command led by the PPRO Uche Ezeh said everthing is under control and they may use available information to hunt mischief makers who hijacked the riot to disrupt public peace.