Gov. Martin Elechi of Ebonyi has ordered the indefinite closure of the State University Abakaliki, following students’ protest on increase in school fees.<\/p>\n
The students, mainly of second year, had for the past three days, been protesting the payment of N88, 000 as school fees for indigenes and N128, 000 for non-indigenes; which they paid on admission in 2012.<\/p>\n
The protest had been violent as the students resorted to the destruction of school and public properties which led to the arrest of over 80 of them by the State Police Command.<\/p>\n
Elechi, who spoke in Abakaliki on Wednesday during an interactive session with some stakeholders on recent events in the state, ordered the university\u2019s vice chancellor to immediately close the school.<\/p>\n
“The students should know that university education is not free and cheap as the state university charges the least tuition fee in the whole South East zone of the country.<\/p>\n
“The students should also understand that they don\u2019t have the right to fix fees.<\/p>\n
“It is the exclusive right of the school\u2019s management who knows the actual cost involved in running the school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Elechi claimed that the students\u2019 unrest was tele-guided by disgruntled elements, who he said, were bent on destabilising the polity.<\/p>\n
“Most of those involved in the protest are not even students.<\/p>\n
“No one has the right to destroy public and individuals\u2019 properties in the name of protest when there are several avenues for dialogue.<\/p>\n
“I have ordered the Commissioner of Police to be ruthless in dealing with anyone breaching the peace of the state in the name of protest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He announced that the government would commence `appreciation tour \u2018of local government areas of the state from April 2, 2013, to thank the electorate for their continued support for the government.<\/p>\n
“The tour will not be for political campaign as it would afford us the opportunity of interacting with the electorate, inaugurate completed projects, admit new members among other tasks.<\/p>\n
“I have also liaised with the State House of Assembly and the Attorney General of the State to amend the Local Government Election Law which would shift the election period to September instead of the original July, 2013,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Elechi berated political office holders in the state, especially those in the local government areas for their apathy toward the maintenance of public infrastructure and environmental cleanliness.<\/p>\n
“We would start full implementation of the law which empowers us to clean the environment or demolish illegal structures in defaulting local councils and deduct the cost from their statutory allocation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Speaker of the assembly, Mr Chukwuma Nwazunku, thanked the governor for the interaction and promised that the legislature would cooperate with the executive to achieve governmental objectives.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, the state Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON),\u00a0\u00a0 Chief Celestine Igberi, promised that council chairmen would ensure sustained environmental cleanliness of their areas.<\/p>\n
The Coordinator, Okposi Development Centre of Ohaozara, Chief Ihebunandu Okorie, urged the government to seek `amicable\u2019 resolution to the students\u2019 protest in the interest of the state.\u00a0 (NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gov. Martin Elechi of Ebonyi has ordered the indefinite closure of the State University Abakaliki, following students’ protest on increase in school fees. The students, mainly of second year, had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n