By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—The management of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, AIFCE, Owerri, has inaugurated a 12-man committee to critically investigate and ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the recent students unrest in the institution.

The panelists were also charged to ascertain the level of damage recorded by the institution, apportion blame where necessary and make recommendations.

The institution’s Provost, Dr. Blessing Ijeoma, who disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Owerri, also said that “management was compelled to inaugurate the committee due to the magnitude of destruction and looting perpetuated by the rampaging students”.

Giving a graphic account of what happened, the Provost said: “On Sunday night, I received intelligence report that some students were agitated and I called the President of Students’ Union Government, who told me that he was in Gombe for NANS function.

“I told him that the students were agitated and sought to know what the problems were. He informed me that it was the issue of not allowing males in female hostels beyond  7pm”, the Provost recounted.

While confirming that management had sadly uncovered that some female students were cohabiting with their counterparts in male hostels, the Rector also said it was an intolerable abuse.

“When some students started complaining about this ugly development, management decided to enforce the existing policy that no male or female student should be seen n each other’s hostel beyond  7pm”, Ijeoma said.

On the alleged hike in fees which the students complained about, the Provost said it was the  payment of Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, fee of N3, 000 for National Certificate on Education, NCE and N6,000 for final year Bachelor if Education, B.Ed, respectively.

“Theses TRCN fees are not an Alvan issue alone and it involves all Colleges of Education and faculties of educations in universities across Nigeria ”, Ijeoma explained.

Continuing, the Provost said that although she assured the SUG President that no student would be prevented from writing the examination due to none payment of the TRCN fee, “it was regrettable that what  the students branded a peaceful demonstration snowballed into violent and destructive protest”.

Her words: “Many official cars parked within the school compound were destroyed. The window and door glasses of my office and other offices were destroyed.  The protesting students even broke into the Information Communication Technology, ICT, office, departmental offices, and faculties, and carted away computer sets and other valuables’.

“It was in the light of the huge damages that the management resolved to shut the school down   and thereafter set up a committee to take stock of the damages before fixing a date to reopen the school”, Ijeoma said.