The Vice-Chancellor, University of Uyo,
Professor Comfort Ekpo, yesterday, advised
students not to see the upcoming Students
Union Elections as an avenue to unleash
violence, urging parents/guardians to caution
their wards, even as, she suspended the SUG
election processes till further notice.
Mrs Ekpo gave the warning after a protest by
some students at the main Campus of the
institution along Nwaniba Road, Uyo, on
Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
The VC, while addressing a group of students
who declined to speak to the Deans of
Student and Engineering; Dr. (Mrs.) Isongesit
Solomon and Prof. Linus Asuquo, the Deputy
Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof
Trenchard Ibia, wondered why the students
resorted to protest without exhausting the
avenue of dialogue, formal complaint in
writing and other peaceful overtures to settle
their grievances with the University
Management and directed them to formally
present their complaints in writing for
consideration before the close of work on
Wednesday.
In an interaction with one of the students at
the scene of the protest, it was adduced that
the protest was not unconnected with the
disqualification of one of the candidates vying
for the office of the Student Union President
of the institution, Mr. Bassey Bassey of the
Chemical Engineering Department in the
Faculty of Engineering; in the election billed
for Friday, April 24, 2015.
The protest according to this source, was an
indication of the displeasure of the
Engineering Students who were the first set
of students to be moved to the main Campus
of the University; students from the same
Faculty of Engineering whose disagreement
over the University Bus Shuttle Scheme led
to the unfortunate June 12, 2013 student
crisis in the University.
According to the Secretary, Student Union
Electoral Committee, Mr. Aniefiok Ekpo, a
Senior Assistant Registrar, the approval and
disqualification of candidates for the Student
Union Election is an executive decision of the
State Security Service.
He added that the duty of the University is to
compile names of candidates vying for
positions and send to Security Agencies for
screening before the elections. This is as
applicable with secular elections and has
been the practice in the University for several
years without hitches.
Speaking further, the motherly disposed
Vice-Chancellor wondered why students in
other Faculties who were screened out by the
security agencies did not protest except
students of the Faculty of Engineering.
She expressed disappointment that a Faculty
known to have created some inventions such
as the Can Satellite and other fabrications;
produced the best graduating student two
years ago should allow external influence to
thwart the lofty heights attained by the
Faculty.
She implored the Dean, Faculty of
Engineering and his colleagues to devise
more creative avenues to channel the
Engineering knowledge of the students, and
advise parents, guardians and the general
public to steer clear from student politics as
the University was not a political platform but
a citadel of intellectualism where men and
women of learning and character are
groomed for National Development.
Meanwhile, in a statement from the Registrar
of the University, Mrs. Edak Umondak, all
processes leading to the election of new
Student Union Government have been
suspended by the authorities of the
institution forthwith.
According to the release, the suspension was
fallout of protest of the students of
Engineering students at the main campus,
yesterday, against the processes, which led
to disqualification of some aspirants in the
contest, noting that the exercise will hold
after the grievances of the aggrieved students
are looked into.

www.radarpapers.com/uniuyo-vc-suspends-sug-election-sues-for-peaceful/