A COMMINIQUE ISSUED BY THE STUDENTS’
UNION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT 2015/2016 SESSION ON THE
11TH DAY OF APRIL 2016.
With absolute humility and earnest
dedication to the call of leadership
We the Students’ Union Government of
the University of Port Harcourt wishes to bring to the notice of the general
public and condemn in no small measure the events that occurred in the
University of Port Harcourt leading to the death of some conscious Nigerian
students in the hands of the NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (NPF)
The following led to the event that
transpired today
The school management headed by the
Vice Chancellor Professor N.E.S Lale without recourse to the Student Union
leaders and representatives of the students decided to enforce the policy that
students who have not paid their school fees will not partake in the school’s
first semester examination scheduled to commence today the 11th day of April,
2016, thereby loosing an academic session, hence an automatic extra year. This
is contrary to the stipulation of the NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION, which
stipulates that new policies especially those directly affecting the students
should be enforced in concordance and in dialogue with the representatives of
the students.
However, in an attempt to better
manage the situation, the Student Union leaders did all that was humanly
possible to dialogue with the management of the University and make them
understand how detrimental this policy could be, taking into cognizance the
unfavorable economic reality facing the generality of Nigeria, hence the need
to shift ground and find other lenient and easily acceptable penalties like not
releasing the results of students who failed to pay their school fees.
This move was rendered fruitless due
to the unyielding nature of the Vice Chancellor who insisted on going on with
this unpopular policy, who stated that over 90% of the students have paid their
school fees, hence exams can commence without the other 10%.
Having failed to convince the school
management, the Student Union Government in their own capacity tried to convey
the stand of the management to the students, trying so hard to convince them
against any demonstration. Our attempt was indeed fruitless, hence the
demonstration.
The student said they were not ready
to lose an academic session. There is always a limit to how much the student
representative can attempt to convince the students against their intention to
demonstrate especially when emotions are involved. This however led to the
peaceful demonstration that commenced early this morning the 11th of April 2016.
The demonstration remained peaceful
until the men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) who were called in by the Vice
Chancellor to maintain peace and order started shooting live bullets at the
students which led to the death of one comrade Ofurum Peter, a 400 level
student of Accounting department and a serving Executive President of the
Faculty of Management Science student association (FAMASSA), amidst countless
number of injured students
As if that was not enough, the men
of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) also shot a student while students
were en route the media house in demonstration against the death of a fellow
student earlier killed by the men of the Nigerian Police Force .
Rather than call for the students’
representatives for dialogue, the University management had a senate sitting
and released a memorandium ordering students to vacate the school’s hostels and
premises before 6pm giving students less than 2 hours after the fatal and
unwholesome killing of their colleague, leader and comrade, enforcing the
directives through men of the Nigerian Army without considering students whose
residences are not within the shores of Rivers State.
As a result of the foregoing, the
Students’ Union Government of the University of Port Harcourt hereby resolves
as follows:
1. The action of the management of
the University of Port Harcourt in not resolving effectively the events that
led to the protest at the University of Port Harcourt is highly condemned. As
parents that they are, we expected management not to throw away the baby and
the bath water.
2. The actions of the Nigeria Police
Force who were expected to protect the Nigerian Students, but rather turned
against the same student and killed some of them are highly condemned. Hence we
call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Inspector General of the Nigeria
Police Force, and every well meaning Nigerian to ensure that the perpetrators
of this dastardly act must be fished out and the full wrath of the law visited
on them.
3. We plead with aggrieved students
of the University of Port Harcourt to keep calm as the Students’ Union
Government in conjunction with well meaning members of the public will do
everything possible to resolve the brouhaha and defend the rights of the
Nigerian Students.
Signed
Comr. Ephraim Inno-Anameje Led
Students’ Union
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