From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the alleged meeting held in Owerri Imo State capital by some elders in the state.
The group noted that the meeting was allegedly stage managed by their masters in Abuja where issues concerning Igbo plight and well-being were not discussed.
A statement by the media and public relations officer of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful stated that the elders were blindfolded by the saboteurs in Igboland not to talk or take a stand on the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu and all pro-Biafrans being detained in different prisons and police cells in Nigeria.
According to Powerful: “We wonder why the stooge of those in Abuja would come out to deceive our people, therefore, we know that some of the people who didn’t know the real agenda of the meeting were there to know the outcome of the meeting, which will not hold water because those who organised the meeting had a secret agenda.
“We, the IPOB under Nnamdi Kanu, are worried why those elders and some governors attended the meeting in Owerri and not Enugu.
“We all know that the present Enugu State is the headquarters of the eastern region not Owerri.”
IPOB wondered why those elders, traditional rulers and some governors who were present in the meeting refused to ask questions.
“More so, the meeting was organised and designed to put more fear in the minds of our people through their agents and some of the saboteurs in our midst, otherwise, how can those who claimed to be our leaders not condemn the killing of unarmed civilians during their evangelism in Onitsha, inside a high school at Aba, Abia State and the massacre of our people in cold blood inside the church at Nkpor during the remembrance of fallen heroes,” Powerful queried.
Fees hike: Alvan Ikoku students protest
…Management shuts down school infinitely
From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Students of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Imo State capital yesterday went on rampage.
They smashed vehicles and destroyed the entrance of the provost’s office in protest over the decision of the management to hike school fees.
Not even the presence of armed police personnel who fired several canisters of tear gas could deter the irate students or quell the situation.
Trouble started when the management insisted that any student who did not pay the increment would not be allowed to sit for the examination scheduled to start yesterday.
Some of the students who spoke with Daily Sun called for the immediate sack of the Dean of Students Affairs, Mrs. Maureen Iwu, saying besides the increment in school fees, welfare of the students had never been taken seriously as there was no electricity supply to their hostels.
The students who have been ordered to vacate the school premises said the management hiked the school fees by N6,000 at all levels.
But the provost, Dr. Blessing Ijoma said the rampage had nothing to do with the alleged increment in fees.
“The only fees that students are asked to pay is N3,000 for Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) which is a professional fee for all NCE students while degree students are to pay N6,000 which has nothing to do with the management.
“The students simply went on rampage because the management has stopped female students from sleeping in male hostels at night which has been going on for some time.
“The protest has nothing to do with alleged hike in school fees. Some of the students incited others to protest the decision of the management and went about destroying property of the institution including vehicles.”
The provost said the students were to start their examinations yesterday but going by the level of destruction, the management decided to close the school infinitely and had asked the students to vacate the school premises immediately.