Hundreds of male students of the Federal University, situated in President Goodluck Jonathan’s home town, Otuoke, Bayelsa state, who had resumed on Sunday, were shut out from their hostels by the landlord over the school and state government i ‘s nability to pay #24 million for two years rent.

When our correspondent got there yesterday, the 52 bedroom apartment which accommodates more than half of the school male population was bereft of the normal student activities but the porter and the school Dean of Student Affairs , Dr. Marcellina Offoha, was seen packing out some of the belongings out of the hostel as the landlord wait ed to lock the gate.

Speaking with our corespondent, the landlord who brandished a letter from his solicitors, Stream Solicitors, based in Yenagoa, said he was tired of the antics of the state government, who has failed to honour the agreement to pay him annually for the rented apartment.

He said he had made several efforts to get the issue resolved amicably but all his efforts were thwarted by the Bayelsa state government who were the tenant and the school authorities who occupies the apartment.

According to the landlord, “I am evicting the university, they are my tenants, they are owing due to the negligence from the state government, they are owing me for two years, I have given them quit notice and I hope they are quitting.

I have spoken to the state government, I have meetings with the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, I have had meetings with the Permanent Secretary, PS, I have had meetings with the Vice Chancellor, met with the Registrar, but to no avail.

And the reason they gave was that there was no fund from the state government because it was the Bayelsa state government that we have the tenancy agreement with and the state government bequeathed the properties to the Federal university but which ever way, we have an agreement to be paid, which has not been carried out.”

The quit notice signed by R.E. Ndiomu, on behalf of the solicitors, read, “We the landlords of the 52 bedroom apartments at Onuegbum, Otuoke road, Otuoke, gives you notice to quit and deliver possession of the aforementioned property with its appurtenances which you hold as a tenant or on before the expiration of seven days upon the receipts of this notice, for failure of the Bayelsa state government through the office of the Secretary to the state government, Bayelsa state to pay the balance of #24 million as rent accruable.”

We have been patiently waiting for the balance sum since last year but have been frustrated by the lack of commitment which the Bayelsa state government has shown despite several attempts to get the state government to adhere to its promise as we have kept our part of the bargain hence the notice.”

We regret this notice, however failure to adhere to this notice, we shall enter into possession without recourse to you or the Bayelsa state government.”

The letter was copied to the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke, the Chief Legal Adviser to the university, and the Secretary of the state government, which claim receipt of the letter on the 10th of March, 2015.

Reacting to the ugly development, the Dean of Student Life, Dr. Marcellina Offoha, who was on hand to witness the lock down of the hostel apartment said, the students was supposed to be coming back to the hostel at the weekend but met the place under lock.

He said the both the students and the school authority are in dilemma but assured that the school authorities, the state government and the landlord will settle the issue amicably in the shortest time possible.

She said, “We have come and we have to begged him, we are on our knees; he is a kind person and he has allow us to take at least something that will basic calm the student where ever they are, while discussion with the school and the government continue.”

For now the returning students has been provided with an adhoc arrangement at one of the hostels while our correspondent to get reaction from the state government did not yield result. Repeated calls to the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mackson Iworiso, was nut answered while the text message to his cell phone was not replied, however, Olusoji Ajibola, the Special Assistant on Media, in a telephone chat said he will get back but to no avail.

The mother of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Ayi Eunice Jonathan, has donated two buildings of 20 en-suite flats to Federal University Otuoke, FUO. The structures were commissioned on Fri 9 August, 2013.

The university is located in the President’s hometown, Otuoke, Bayelsa State