Follow Us on Google
From John Adams, Minna
There was a drama at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, yesterday as protesting students prevented the Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Dr. Mohammed Kudu Santuraki from presiding over the meeting, accusing him of betraying the institution he was appointed to govern.
The protesters led by the Students Union Government (SUG) President, Adaidu Ezekiel Machofo and the Senate President, Dosunmu Abdulsamad occupied the Senate building, venue for the meeting.
The protest was the fallout of the dispute between the Niger State Government and the university authority over the ownership of the institution’s mini campus at Bosso.
Government had attempted to take over the campus, saying the 40 years lease agreement had elapsed.
The university authority, however, resisted the planned take over, insisting that it had bought the mini campus, hitherto used by the state-owned teachers college before 1982.
The students were angered by the alleged role of the Pro Chancellor, who is an indigene of the state during the dispute, accusing him of taking side with the state.
They called for the immediate removal of the Pro-Chancellor, saying his continued stay in office portends danger for the survival and progress of the university. “Credible information available to us showed that the Council chairman has compromised and failed in his role as the custodian of the university assets.
“We wish to state that, as Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Mohammed Kudu Santuraki’s responsibility is to use his political influence to attract developmental projects to the university, but here we are, seeing him conniving with agents of the governor to cede the University’s Bosso campus to the state government at a time our student are busy with their academic activities on both campuses.
The students appealed to President Tinubu to stop the excesses of Governor Umaru Bago on the way and manner federal institutions, agencies and parastatals cited in Niger State are treated.
Other News
They stressed that they would resist any attempt from anybody to cede or share any of the university assets at Bosso Campus with another university.
ASUU chairman of the institution, Professor Luqman Oyewobi, also echoed the students’ concerns and called for the removal of the Pro-Chancellor.
Oyewobi called on the President to caution the Minister to avoid actions that would destabilise the university. He added that this could be done by encouraging communication, respecting institutional independence and upholding the rule of law.
One of the external members of the Council, Pastor Timothy Ademola had to come out of the meeting to appeal to the students, assuring them that “there will be no hanky-panky and no emotion or sentiment put in place while deliberating on the issue.”
Ademola pleaded with the students to allow the meeting as issues relating to the taking over of the mini campus were being handled.
“We want to assure you that the Governing Council will stand on the side of the law. The meeting was so important that the minister of education had to send his representative to the meeting. We will listen to the issue regarding the Bosso campus and we tell you that this Council will stay on the side of the law and not on the side of emotions. We have heard your fears and we will abide by the rules of the council to deliberate and give our outcome to the minister.
“Council members have a name to protect and no matter what needs to happen, we need to sit at the council to decide the way forward. We want to debunk every wrong notion that we are here to decide on how to share the Bosso campus, that is very wrong. We are not sitting to give out Bosso Campus.”
Representative of the minister, Mrs. Elizabeth Emma-Egoro, acknowledged the grouses of the students and urged them to allow peace to take its natural course, adding that contrary to what they think, the minister has not taken any side but was waiting for the outcome of the Council meeting.
“The minister is a man of peace and integrity and would ensure that the right thing is done. He has the interest of the FUT Minna students at heart,” she said.
The FUTMinna Alumni Association’s National President, Professor Shola Gabriel, who also attended the meeting said Bosso campus is like their father’s land and he would not allow anyone take over it.
