Normal academic activities at the Benue State University Makurdi was paralysed following the over three-hour protest by students over 90 percent increase in tuition fees.
The protest which started at about 7: 00 am, led to the blockade of the ever busy Makurdi-Gboko expressway as the students made bonfire which obstructed both human and vehicular traffic, just as lecturers and staff of the institution held hostage and blocked from having access to their offices for several hours.
Motorists plying the route, had to take the Makurdi International Market ring road before accessing the main road to Gboko and other exit routes from Makurdi, the state capital.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Students Union President hit the rocks as the university is yet to conduct election into the leadership of the Student Union since the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Executive Committee.
But the authorities of the university in a statement by Acting Registrar, Mrs. Catherine Terlumun Bur, regretted the action of the students which it said had come when the University had scheduled to commence accreditation of programmes by the National Universities Commission, NUC from Monday 21st May 2018.
The university said the protest was carried out by people it described as miscreants who paraded themselves as students who “locked up and displaced the security manning the main gate of the University, bringing to a halt the inflow and outflow of human and vehicular traffic into the University including Nursery and Primary School pupils for reasons yet to be ascertained”.
“This action is particularly worrisome in view of the fact that the University is scheduled to commence accreditation of programmes by the National Universities Commission from Monday 21st May 2018”.
The management which threatened to resort lawful means to tackle the situation, advised parents and guardians to advise their wards to restrain them from actions capable of breaching the peace on campus as according to them, the students had not engaged management on any grievances whatsoever.
The university informed all bonafide students of this institution to go about their registration and other normal academic activities as the First Semester of the 2017/2018 academic session has commenced in earnest.
Management reiterated its resolve to ensure that timelines for registration and other activities are strictly observed.
Comments
