…As NANS calls for immediate
relocation of school.
AWKA – SOME students of the
Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra
State, who returned to the town in
readiness for reopening of the
institution closed a fortnight ago,
following a clash between
masquerades and students of the
polytechnic, were allegedly attacked
by people suspected to be from the
town, still bearing grudges against
the students for destruction of some
property in the town during the
clash.
This came on a day a 22-member
panel was set up to investigate
clash between the students and the
masquerades.
The latest attack came as the
National Association of Nigerian
Students, NANS, yesterday called on
the Minister of Education, Prof
Ruquayatu Rufai, to send a proposal
to the Federal Executive Council, for
immediate relocation of the
polytechnic from Oko, saying the
lives of the students were no longer
safe in the town.
President of the Students Union
Government, SUG, of the
Polytechnic, Mr. Henry Nwabineli,
told newsmen in Awka that two
students sustained injuries, adding
that their handsets and other
valuable property were removed
from them.
According to the SUG president,
“the people confronted the students
in their hostels in the town and beat
them up and snatched their
telephone handsets and other
valuable items from them. We have
also discovered that many hostels
had been burgled since the
students were asked to go home
over two weeks ago.”
He explained that the students had
to come back because of an earlier
announcement that the institution
would reopen on April 10, adding
that they were eager to return to
prepare for their first semester
examinations as the time table for
the examination was already out.
Also addressing newsmen on the
issue, the country representative of
the West African Students Union,
Comrade Sheriff Zadoc, said there
were other towns in Anambra State
that were prepared to welcome and
accommodate the students as their
children and wondered why
students of Oko Poly should be
living in danger in a community that
should be grateful to the Federal
Government for sitting such an
institution in their area.
He commended the management of
the polytechnic for ensuring that the
students were evacuated from what
he called the lion’s den, recalling
that the students were being
hunted by the people as if they
committed any offence.
Zadok also said the entire Nigerian
students would resist any attempt
to ask the students of Oko
Polytechnic to pay any penalty,
describing as an irony, a situation
whereby some people in the
community would be claiming to
have lost millions of naira when they
were the people that started the
attack with their masquerades.
His words; “Nigerian students are
monitoring with keen interest, the
events as they unfold in Oko. We
have mobilized students across the
NANS zones in the country to be
ready to resist any attempt by any
group or individual to impose any
levy of any magnitude as reparation
or whatever name.”
Meanwhile, a 22-member panel was
yesterday inaugurated by the rector
of the polytechnic, Professor Godwin
Onu, in his office.
22-member panel set up to
investigate clash
The panel has as chairman Mr.
Bennett Ajakemo of the polytechnic,
while Mr. Moses Okoye from Oko
community would serve as
secretary.
Membership of the panel was drawn
from the polytechnic, students, Oko
community, Orumba North local
government, police, State Security
Service, SSS, and police community
relations committee.
No fewer than seven students were
seriously injured when masquerades
allegedly celebrating a festival had a
confrontation with the students,
which resulted in the destruction of
property worth millions of naira.
The polytechnic had remained
closed since the incident.
Terms of reference of the panel,
which has one week to submit its
report, are to determine the
immediate and remote causes of the
conflict, assess the extent of
damage and peril to lives and
property, identify those involved in
inducing the conflict and roles
played by individuals and groups,
as well as proffer solution to the
problem and recommend ways of
avoiding future occurrences.
Onu explained during the
inauguration that the committee
was a product of long deliberation
and negotiation between the
polytechnic and the Oko community
and hoped that a lasting solution
would be found by members of the
panel.
He said: “We felt that it was
necessary to look into the causes of
the violence because there is no
alternative to peace. That is why we
decided to involve all the
stakeholders as nobody can claim to
have monopoly of knowledge.”
He urged members of the panel to
see their nomination as service to
God and humanity and promised
that the polytechnic would provide
the panel with all the necessary
logistics to enhance their job.
Onu also pleaded that the panel
should endeavour to meet the
target date, adding that the
institution was already operating
behind schedule as examinations
ought to have begun, but for the
crisis which led to the temporary
closure of the polytechnic.
Responding on behalf of others,
chairman of the panel, Mr. Ajakemo,
promised that members of the
panel would do their best to ensure
the return of a lasting peace at Oko
and the polytechnic community.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/again-students-attacked-in-oko-poly/