By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
August 26, 2011 would be evergreen in the minds of the management, staff and students of the 36 year-old University of Calabar. It was a day the students let loose their fury on their teachers and the authorities of the institution, not minding the consequences of their action.

There have been conflicting reports on what triggered off the carnage that took place on the 26 and 27th August at Malabo as the university is popularly called where property worth billions of naira were wasted by the rampaging students. One account claimed that armed robbers went to Hall Four and collected students’ cell phones and laptops and one of the final year students of Public Policy and Administration, PPA, and President of Ohafia Students Association, Chima Agbai Kalu, was shot in the ears for refusing to surrender his handset to the suspected armed robbers.

*Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. James Ekpoke (R) conducting Cross River state Governor, Sen Liyel Imoke and other aides around the institution to ascertain level of destruction after the students went on rampage, weekend.

According to this account, the victim was rushed to the university medical centre but he was not treated because there was no deposit to commence treatment on him. Hence, the students decided to protest when it was discovered that their colleague had given up the ghost.

Another account had it that about two weeks before the protest, a group of students suspected to be cult members had stormed one of the hostels and gunned down a final year Law student and that the August 26 attack was a planned reprisal attack but as the suspected cultists could not get their targets, they decided to rob the students of their cell phones and laptops and the resistance by Chima led to his brutal killing.

A third account had it that Prof. Epoke, the Vice Chancellor of the University had introduced a development levy and had given the students about eight and half months to register and pay the sum of N10,000 across board and August 26 was given as the deadline for the payment. But it was gathered that despite the duration given to the students, they, through the students union government, had sought for the extension of the deadline to enable those who had not paid to complete their registration. The school authority, Saturday Vanguard gathered, planned to grant them their request by keeping open the portal where the necessary fees are paid.

But before the expiration of the deadline, the students struck and destroyed the internet system where records of payment of fees were kept and also had a field day vandalizing every property that belonged to the school, visitors and even the lecturers. It was gathered that within two hours, close to 2000 students had been mobilized to carry out the vandalization and looting of property.

The rampaging students having succeeded in the night without the presence of the security agencies to stop them, continued the dastardly act the next day and even demonstrated around the school and headed for the governor’s office. The students complained that it was lack of adequate security in the university that led to the alleged armed robbery attack which resulted to the death of one of them and also complained of the alleged insensitivity of the school management towards the plight of students and the increment in fees which they felt should not be for now. The students called for the resignation of the Vice chancellor.

There was an allegation that one of the “big boys” in town had all it takes to give admission to students to study in the university and he collected the necessary fees from them which did not get to the university. It was insinuated that these agents perpetuated their activities with the connivance of some staff.

Assessing the level of destruction, Governor Liyel Imoke who was conducted around the campus by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ekpoke said that the destruction was unprecedented and quite extensive.

His words, “The destruction is quite extensive and most unfortunate, whatever the reasons may be. It is unprecedented. This kind of wanton destruction of property of an institution is really unfortunate.”

The Vice Chancellor said he could not fathom what could have warranted the wanton destruction of property by the students as there was no serious disagreement between the management and students and also no inkling that such an action was in the offing.

He said, “It is strange because we cannot say that there was anything inimical that the administration did that would warrant this kind of reaction. Yes, students may disagree on one thing or the other, but if the disagreement is brought in the way of normal demonstration, then administration would have looked at it.”

On the alleged increment of fees that was said to have sparked off the protest, the Vice Chancellor said, “Every university all over the world gives deadlines for certain things. There is a date for resumption, date for registration, date for examination. All those things are there. There are deadlines.

“There is no school you can go and stay for eight and a half months without registering. How do we know that you are a student? How do we prepare for exams for you? I mean that cannot warrant this kind of destruction. It cannot”, he said.

Ekpoke condemned the destruction of vehicles belonging to lecturers, saying, “The worst is that they even went to lecturers houses and destroyed their cars. What have the lecturers done to them?”

On the issue of security, he said that the management would look into the security situation on the campus to see if there were lapses and that a committee would be set up to critically review the security situation.

Ekpoke debunked the report of armed robbery in the hostels and said, “Even in the secondary school, it is difficult for a thief or robber to enter a boys’ dormitory and steal, how much more a university with all the 5, 000 students in the hall? Then an armed robber would go there? It is not likely.”

Also commenting on the protest, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Calabar branch described the violent protest which led to the wanton destruction of property including 63 vehicles belonging to their members as criminal and unbecoming of future leaders.

In the statement signed by branch chairman of ASUU, Dr. James Okpiliya and the Secretary Dr. Emmanuel Akpan, thye group opines; “With this high level of inglorious execution and the magnitude of destruction by the students, we see the action as pre-meditated, criminal and unbecoming of future leaders.

“We further state that it is not our intention to breed irresponsible and criminally minded students. We therefore implore our students to explore peaceful and civilized avenues of resolving their grievances in line with the rich culture of the University of Calabar.”

ASUU regretted what it described as the reluctance of the police to intervene despite repeated appeals by the university authority for intervention to salvage the situation.

The university lecturers are not sure the institution will resume until the committee set up to investigate the protest submits its report.