Recently there has been news of student unrest at Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE), Owerri. The management has set up a 12-man committee to critically investigate and ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the unrest.
Giving an account of what might have transpired which led to the unrest, the Provost, Dr. Blessing Ijeoma 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". “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 in each other’s hostel beyond 7pm”.
The students had also agitated about hike in fees which the Provost explained that it was the payment of Teachers' Registration Council of NIGERIA (TRCN), fee of N3,000 for National Certificate on Education (NCE) and N6000 for final year Bachelor of 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.
The Provost had assured the SUG President that no student would be prevented from writing the examination due to non-payment of TRCN fee
“it was regrettable that what the students branded a peaceful demonstration snowballed into violent and destructive protest”. “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”
Source: Vanguard
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