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From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised the alarm over what it described as a well-coordinated intention by some disgruntled elements to bring down the country by targeting strategic economic sectors, especially the educational sector.
ASUU Chairman, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), Simon Ejembi, stated this in a statement, yesterday.
Ejembi lamented that the current spate of students and staff abduction can only suggest there is a siege on the educational system which apparently targets a complete crippling of the major organ of national development.
While noting that this should not be condoned by any responsible government, he called on the powers that be and relevant security agencies to save the nation from total invasion by some elements inimical to the development of the country and prevent it from losing its sovereignty.
He recalled that on April 24 at about 11pm which was the same day the university had its 23 to 25 combined convocation, two students of the institution were abducted by gunmen from a lecture hall where they had gone to read.
“This is to add to the list of campuses and secondary school premises that have been attacked in recent times. It is noteworthy that after three days, the students were released but certainly not without some prices, including physical assaults.
“ASUU-FUAM condemns the recent attack and abduction of our students and the unchallenged siege in totality and in all ramifications and call that the perpetrators of this dastardly acts be urgently brought to book,” he said.
While positing that Nigerian leaders cannot continue to watch while the national sovereignty is taken unchallenged, ASUU-FUAM called on the security agencies to be more proactive rather than being reactive to prevent damages to lives and property.
The union also called for the complete perimeter fencing of the university campus to control infiltration of all kinds of people into and through the campus from all the cardinal points that are currently porous.
