Normalcy has returned to Obio Akpa, the host community to Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), in Abak Local Government Area, following a protest by angry youths, who demanded jobs, scholarships and other fringe benefits including Community Liaison Officer (CLO) for the indigenes.
The protesting youths, according to one of the students, a second-year Mass Communication student (name withheld), “the protesters blocked us from gaining entry to write our semester examinations for several hours until the Police, the Village Chairman and the Head of Campus arrived to restore calm.”
Mfonobong Umanah, one of the protesters told newsmen that their anger stemmed from the non-accommodation of the host community youths in the empowerment programmes of the University.
He said: “We are host community to this institution and we have done our best to ensure we safeguard facilities in the school, but such gesture is not reciprocated by the university management and government in terms of giving us jobs, scholarships and other empowerment’s slots including Community Liaison Officer (CLO).”
However, the Village Chairman, Comrade Awo Moses Usoro and the Head in charge of the Obio Akpa Campus, Prof. Emmanuel Ibok, who appealed to the protesters to remain calm, promised to relay their grievances to the appropriate authorities.
Appealing for calm, Prof. Ibok urged the protesters to embrace peace and “remain calm because you cannot achieve any meaningful thing through violence. I’m assuring you that all your demands will be taken to the appropriate authorities for action.”
In the same vein, Usoro, who stood in for the late Village Head of Obio Akpa, admonished the youths to exercise patience as the University management through the Head of Campus, has assured them that their grievances will be given due attention.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that police operatives have taken over the campus with a view to ensuring that normalcy returns for the right atmosphere to prevail for the students to continue with their examinations.
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Police restore calm as protesting youths barricade A’Ibom varsity
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Police restore calm as protesting youths barricade A’Ibom varsity,
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