Crisis At UNIUYO Over Water Shortage

Started by Sunexx360, Oct 16, 2012, 04:59 PM

Sunexx360

Students of the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday protested irregular power supply and water shortage on the institution campus. UNIUYO
But the Dean of Students of the institution, Prof. Eno Ibanga, said that the institution had resolved the crisis, adding that it would not affect the ongoing examination in the university.
He also denied rumours making the rounds that the students of the institution are planning to protest during the ongoing semester examination. UNIUYO
Ibanga, who said management was committed to the welfare of students, stated that they were working hard to create an enabling environment for students to prepare for exams. UNIUYO
He, however, confirmed that the students on Sunday night protested against water shortage and poor power supply in the university. The students claimed that they embarked on the protest because water shortage and erratic power supply had impacted negatively on their preparations forthe examination. UNIUYO
The protest, which was restricted to the University Road, resulted in the damage of the school 's signpost at the main gate and hindered vehicular movement. UNIUYO
Crisis At UNIUYO Over Water Shortage
Policemen and men of the Operation Thunderwere called in to manage the situation.
Speaking on Monday in Uyo, Ibanga said the power problem was as a result of the breakdown of the generator supplying electricity to the hostels.
He said a new generator has already been installed to take care of the problem.
The lecturer added that the protest was uncalled for, noting that some people hide under students' unionism to cause trouble.
He said, "We are not God, even machines break down. When students asked for light, we bought and installed new generator for them. We are repairing the generator that went bad. We dedicated a special generator for pumping water into the hostels. Now we are working towards refurbishing some of the rooms in the hostels.
"We charge N8,500 per student, multiply that by 600 students in M2, that is just N5.1m and we repaired that hostel with about N60m. Weare trying to make sure that things are working but people are trying to sabotage our efforts.
"If we were not responding to their problems, they would say nobody is listening.They have met with management, is there anything they requested for that that we have not done? We are in the process but people have gone on rampage that the M2 is not ready."
Reacting to the protest, Secretary General, Students' Union Government, Mr. Iniobong Williams, stated that students just registered their displeasure at the scarcity of water in the hostels.
He said, "Yesterday, (Sunday), students registered their protest which was due to lack of water on campus. The water which had been pumped early that morning got finished and it was not re-pumped; so the water became so inadequate for our use."
"This morning, we discovered that three coaster vehicles lost their brain boxes to hoodlums, who used the occasion to vandalise the school's property. If there is a protest, security in the campus would be a little loose as they will be trying to see how they could forestall the situation.
"There was no crisis, students just came out and registered their displeasure; no structureor building or vehicles had been burnt down," he stated.
On whether things had degenerated after Prof. Comfort Ekpo took over as new Vice Chancellor of the university, Ibanga said therehad been improvement as new blocks of classrooms had been built, generators and transformers had been acquired while some hostels had been refurbished.

Sunexx360