ONITSHA — Four students of Nigeria
Metallurgical Training Institute, NMTI, Onitsha,
Anambra State, Thursday, sustained various
degrees of injuries as the students went on
rampage in protest against poor hostel
accommodation, rejection of the school’s
diploma certificate by other Federal
Government institutions, among other
agitations.
Their injuries, according to eye-witness,
followed a stampede arising from the
gunshots allegedly fired by some policemen to
disperse the rampaging students who had
already barricaded the ever busy Onitsha/
Owerri dual carriageway in front of the NMTI
main campus.
The students made bonfires in the middle of
the road, obstructing vehicular movements on
the federal highway.
Before the arrival of a police team from
nearby Divisions like Okpoko, Awada and
Obosi, the students had succeeded in causing
total blockade of the road, chanting solidarity
songs as they made the bonfire.
According to the source, trouble started in the
school on Wednesday morning when some
graduates of the school who had gone to
Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun,
Warri, Delta State, to further their studies were
refused admission.
They were also allegedly chased out by some
security agents attached to the school over
the excuse that NMTI diploma certificate was
not duly recognized by PTI, also a Federal
Government-owned institution.
The source said the aggrieved students
allegedly communicated their situation to
some of their colleagues still studying at
NMTI, telling them that they were wasting
their time as the Diploma Certificate from
NMTI, which is under the Federal Ministry of
Mines and Power, was not recognized outside
the school on graduation.
The situation was said to have angered the
students who now organized themselves and
delegated the Students’ Union Executive and
some of the best minds to approach the
Director of the school, Mr. I. I. Okonkwo, to
know his reaction.
On reaching the Director’s office on
Wednesday, the students delegation were
allegedly turned back by the school boss and
the students immediately went on rampage.
It was gathered that feeling extremely
humiliated by the director’s uncompromising
behaviour, the students accused him of not
showing enough sympathy towards their
plights and as early as 8a.m. yesterday, they
mobilized themselves and vandalized some of
the school property, including electronic
gadgets and computer sets.
On realizing the magnitude of the protest, the
director allegedly ran into his office with some
members of senior staff of the school in a bid
to escape the students’ wrath.


source vanguard... http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/4-injured-as-police-disperse-protesting-nmti-students-in-onitsha/


cc lalasticlala