And finally the fire that started in UNEC reaches UNN. On the night of June 1st, 2015; the night after it was announced that students should vacate the hostels within 24 hours. Students went on a peaceful protest when the school generator was not switched on at the usual time. The protesters moved from Franco up school chanting "Off that Gen!" as they got to different staff quarters where generators supplied power.
The mob progressed to the female hostels up school and subsequently moved towards the Vice Chancellor's lodge with the same song. The message they had was, "If the students do not have power, then no staff should".
As they progressed, the protesters harrassed drivers plying the road, forcing them to put off the light from their cars. However, tragedy broke out as the students got close to the Vice Chancellor's lodge when a driver who had earlier been harrassed made a come-back, speeding through the mob without caution, knocking down about four (4) of the protesters who lost their arms and/or legs as a result of the accident. Unknown to the furious driver, who is also a student of the university, security men were with the protesters as they tried to quell they situation or keep it under control. One of the protesters said the security men tried reassuring them that the generator will be made available. He was immediately apprehended by the security men while the affected students were hurriedly taken to the University Medical Centre for treatment.
However, as the protesters dispersed, angry that their demands were not met and that the furious driver was not handed to them, the university community remains in total backout except for staff quarters where there are generators to supply power.
Also, mixed reactions have trailed the announcement of immediate vacation of students from the hostels within 24 hours. As some students see it as a good development owing to the fact that they have been praying to have a little time to rest from the tedious works in the school, others are complaining that the school authority cannot justify its actions in any way as the reasons given by the school authority (lack of power supply among others) were not enough to order students out of the hostels within 24 hours. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the Enugu Campus of the university as armed policemen are seen at the campus gate with their cars parked around the gate. This has also increased the fear of embarrassment in the student should they not leave the hostel before 6:00pm tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015.
We will, as much as possible, keep you posted as the events unfold.
Comr. Okeke, Chibueze O.
Manager,
Electronic Information,
SUG, UNN
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