REPORT OF THE STUDENT UNION GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, ENUGU CAMPUS
On the event that led to the closure of the campus and subsequent suspension of the Union by the School Management
Prior to the election of our administration, the situation of power supply in the university had been quite epileptic. However, we did not hesitate to further bring it into the notice of the school management. The president Comr. Nwankwo Emmanuel actually began negotiations on the matter on the very first meeting he had with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Enugu Campus (Herein after refered to as DVC) on the 25th of April, 2016. He as a father kindly promised that the issue would be addressed before the end of that week. The president, also within the week reported same to the Deputy Director of Works who expressly assured him that the works department had already sent proposals and was awaiting the disbursement of fund to have the issue fixed. The week however passed without any improvements.
On 5th of May, the Executive Council had another meeting with the DVC wherein he assured them that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (herein after refered to as EEDC) had been duly paid and had agreed to supply light to the students from 7.00pm to 12.00mid-night and 9.00am to 3.00pm daily and that a contract has been signed for the fixing of street lights pending the approval of the Vice-Chancellor, alongside other resolutions which we cannot enumerate here for want of space. Afterwards, we proceeded to announce the outcomes to the students who happily welcomed it but would latter get pissed off when they could not see any of them being implemented.
Within this period, the situation was becoming so unbearable that the students began to show signs of intention to protest. We sincerely perceived the impending aggravation escalating as the students often hauled stones, booing and jeering at us whenever we went to address them.
At this very point, we felt it was high time we wrote directly to the Vice-Chancellor (herein after, the VC).
Hence on the 19th May, 2016, we sent him a letter titled, “State of Emergency” which is herein attached, but unfortunately, the letter was not replied.
The height of the students' grievances could clearly be evidenced when the students, on the 22nd May, 2016 lashed back on the Director of Welfare while we were trying to prevent them from rushing out of hostel for a protest.
We quickly brought the envisaged protest to the notice of the DVC, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and the Security Department in meetings held on 23rd May, 2016 in their respective offices. We did not just stop at this but also proceeded to notify the Dean Student Affairs, UNN and the Chairman of Students Welfare and Disciplinary Committee.
The Associate Dean, on seeing the injury, assisted by making a call in our presence. by the following day work was commenced for reparation of the 500KVA generator. On the 27th, there was a total blackout and the DVC summoned an emergency meeting on the 28th of May. There, we were asked to go and inform the students that the generators could no longer work and that the 800KVA had spoilt beyond repair and that the 500KVA would be fixed on or before Tuesday, 31st May, 2016.
However, in the attempt to report the situation to the students, they, in their usual manner turned daft ears on us and hauled stones on us. We reported this again to the appropriate authorities.
On Tuesday, the generator was powered but could only provide light for about 1 hour before it broke down again. I nonetheless had fowarded a text to the VC that same day, explaining the situation at hand but he did not reply.
On Wednesday, the school returned to its dark enclaves.
On Thursday, 2nd of June 2016, another meeting was summoned wherein we were instructed to inform the students that there would be no light till Saturday.
It is also appropriate at this juncture to report that the students within this period had started confronting the SUG officials. Evidently, the speaker of the Union was obstructed on his way to a sitting on that same day and was prevented from using his official room on grounds that he was “Mr-Speaker-for-Mouth”. Some others testified that they were at various times ridiculed or even threatened that a time would come when they would no longer be allowed into the classroom areas.
In the bid to address the surging tension, we chose to call an emergency Joint Consultative Council (JCC) meeting which held on the 5th June, 2016. This meeting comprised of the three arms of the Students Union Government, Council of Hall Governors, Faculty and Departmental presidents, presidents of fellowships and class representatives. After due consideration, we in the bid to avert the impending protest agreed to embark on a one-week sit-at-home lecture boycott. This we intended would also afford the university management a reasonable time to fix up the light challenge.
When this was announced, it was expressly applauded by both students and lecturers alike, stating that it was the most reasonable decision ever taken by S.U.G. UNEC.
Unfortunately though, some members of the school management did not really appreciate it. They seemed to see the SUG officials as the “bad eggs”. The Deputy Chief Security Officer notified us of his intention to open the classrooms, but after a long discussion with him, we were able to convince him on why we chose to lock up the classrooms.
On Tuesday, we had a meeting with the Student Affairs Department. The Ag. Associate Dean applauded the decision but requested that we put our demands in writing and submit to the appropriate authorities. The letter addressed to the VC afterwards and dated 7th June, 2016 and served on other relevant authorities is herein attached.
On Wednesday, we had another meeting with a representative of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Olisa Okereke, who agreed to forward our grievances to the Vice-Chancellor on the condition that we would call-off the lecture-boycott on Thursday morning. We however told him that since we were not notified of his coming to the extent that the JCC was not fully represented, we were handicapped and could not take any decision until we consulted other officials. He promised to get back to us on Thursday but he did not until the week ran out.
Notably, we also tried to discuss the issue of internet service (wifi) with him during the meeting, considering the fact that he is the Director of ICT but he promised to invite us on another day for the sole purpose of discussing the ICT. However, we did not take any further step on this since that same evening, the wifi suddenly started working in all the hostels.
On Thursday, we had another meeting with the DVC who told us that the school management would be having a meeting to address our issue on Friday, 10th June 2016 and that he would ensure that our grievances got to the VC. Afterwards, it was resolved that since the school management would be meeting on Friday, the student union should meet as well, such that by Friday evening, we would both exchange our resolutions.
On our part, we summoned an emergency congress which had a quite substantial number of the students in attendance. In our humble capacity the union leaders tried to convince the students on why the boycott should at least be “suspended”. But they however remained resolute that suspension would only come in when the school management has expressly come to a common grounds regarding which of our demands they were willing to grant, and which they were not, including the time limit in which each of the demands would be implemented. They also stated clearly that the union leaders should be ready to face the consequences if we dared call off the boycott without their demands being met. Sincerely, at this point, we, being afraid of facing the wrath of the school management chose to delve into ambiguities. Hence, we did not make it express to the students whether or not we would call off the boycott, but however humbly prayed that the decision of the school management would tilt in our own favour. Meanwhile throughout the weekend, the school management did not forward any report.
Meanwhile, the president had by that day, sent a text message to the VC explaining the state of affairs on campus, the students demands and humbly requesting his immediate response but such text was not replied.
Again, on Saturday, the president tried speaking with the VC over the phone but the efforts yielded no fruits. On the first dial, the vice-chancellor dropped the call and sent him a text that ''he was driving''. Subsequent calls in the evening were however, not answered at all.
He also called the DVC requesting to know the response of the school management after the meeting on Friday. The DVC however told him that he wanted to call another meeting before he finally reports to the SUG. A further call on Sunday attracted the same response.
On this note, the students not knowing their fate kept pressurising until we had to call another emergency JCC meeting in the evening wherein it was resolved that the boycott would continue on Monday with a peaceful protest which expressly involved only “the student leaders”. The students appreciated this and indicated their confidence in their leaders.
The peak of it all was on Monday, 13th June, 2016. The student leaders by 8.00am peacefully marched round the campus with placards expressing the plight of the students. We marched straight into Main Hall where we had a meeting with the DVC and other principal officers of the University. The major resolution in the meeting was that the lecture boycott should be called off. This was reached amicably between the management and the S.U.G. The student leaders proceeded from there to communicate the students at the school gate and as well implement the resolution of the meeting.
After opening the classrooms and making the declaration that lectures would commenceOn Tuesday, 14 june, 2016, we on the instruction of the Ag.Deputy Registrar also posted the same information on-line for quicker access and proceeded to inform the DVC and other appropriate authorities that we had effected the assignment expected of us.
However, shortly afterwards the students in hostels began to chant that we had betrayed, sabotaged, and disappointed them. That we probably had accepted bribe from the school management. Meanwhile in the evening, the school generator came on but lasted only about 40minutes. This, probably stirred the students again and they noisily ran into the streets and began to destroy some school property. Some of the Union leaders who were within reach tried in their various capacities to quell the protest but the angry mob rather lashed back on them.
On Tuesday, the DVC scheduled a meeting with the president but the meeting would not later hold as the president repeatedly called him and he would not pick his calls. It was the Ag. Associate Dean, who finally informed him that the VC was around, that the management was converging for a meeting but that the student representatives were excluded from the meeting.
Finally, about 4.00pm, a circular was pasted at strategic places around the school, stating that the student Union Government, Enugu Campus has been suspended and that the campus has been closed indefinitely.
We also further bring the following to your notice:
That on Tuesday, 14th June, 2016 electric power supply from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company which barely ever lasted beyond 2 hours suddenly came on from around 8.00am till about 4.00pm.
That the water taps that never gushed out water since this session suddenly started running the same morning.
That we sincerely believe that the Monday, 13th June,2016 (night) protest was instigated by the fact that the generator lasted only about 40minutes that night, instead of the usual 2hours.
That the union leader immediately the protest commenced quickly communicated the appropriate authorities.
That the angry students went after some of the Union leaders they could find and actually beat up one of us, Hon. Nwagbo Christain, who was at the time found sleeping in the president`s room.
That the Union leaders were not represented in the meeting wherein the management took its decision on Tuesday, 14th June,2016, notwithstanding every effort made by the president to be present.
That the SUG as a body do not know anything concerning the protest beyond that stated herein.
That the SUG is however willing to cooperate with the school management in the course of investigation through reporting any further findings that may lead to detecting the actual violators.
Signed
Comrade Nwankwo Ebuka Emmanuel (Gentle)
SUG President, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.



@Moderator, I would appreciate if this can get to NL front page as the Authorities of the University are trying to PIN the violence acts on the SUG, instead of their inaction, and probably rusticate innocent student Union Leaders or keep them in court for years while their academic programme is suspended. The exact situation that happened in 2009 in the Nsukka campus. the student leaders never graduated and no one ever knew the story.

Nairaland might be the only way this true story may see the light of the day,and these student could meet well meaning individuals who might fight their cause and get the justice they truly deserve.

I told u guys to take it easy. Now u are begging for front page. Will front page bring the students back to school?

U should have known that there are students among u who could hijack the sincere struggle and land u all in trouble. Well, I think u should come to Abuja and meet with the Senate and House Committees on education. Hopefully, the school authority will be called to order. U can send me a mail so that we talk how to go about this.

kaorama:
. Well, I think u should come to Abuja and meet with the Senate and House Committees on education. Hopefully, the school authority will be called to order. U can send me a mail so that we talk how to go about this.

email