The alleged
involvement in a violent protest on the premises of the institution, the
authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), have
expelled six final year students.
The
Registrar of the institution, John Nnabuihe, who disclosed this to The Guardian
on Tuesday, in Owerri, said the Senate of the institution met a few days ago
and approved of their expulsion.
“Six of
them have been expelled, including the former student leader. The Senate met
and expelled them,” Nnabuihe said
Those
affected were Collins Ogbonna (Fishery and Aquaculture Technology); Elvis
Onuoha (Animal Science Technology); and Ebuka Odunze of Computer Science
department.
Others,
expelled, Nnabuihe, confirmed were Kenneth Mega (Prosthetics and Orthotics
department); Nnamdi Madu and Collins Ugwu all of Optometry department.
Meanwhile,
in solidarity with the expelled students, The Guardian gathered that the
students of the institution and other tertiary institutions in the country were
allegedly planning to shut down academic and administrative activities in the
FUTO on May 8, if the authorities of the institution fail to recall the six
expelled students.
They
demanded that the cause of the demonstration students held about two months ago
be addressed rather than expelling students.
Students
had staged a violent demonstration at the school about two months ago to
protest increase of certain fees and lack of some accommodation and basic
amenities. Certain properties belonging to the institution were destroyed in
the process.
The
Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Francis Eze, has since dismissed the
allegation, stating that the institution, as a federal institution, does not
charge school fees, noting that only negligible addition for the provision of
WiFi was made as agreed between the student body, the authorities and the providers.
