…promises justice for students, says students’ Union activities remains suspended
From WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
Hope of resumption of normal academic activities was on Friday raised by the management of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) as the panel earlier set up to investigate events leading to the tragedy that greeted the September 10 bloody protest by the students, has submitted its report.
Two students of FUOYE, Joseph Okonufua and Dada Kehinde, were shot dead allegedly by security agents during a protest by the students to press home their demand for adequate power supply by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on the twin campuses of Ikole and Oye and their environs.
A press statement made available on Friday from the office of FUOYE’ s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Geoffrey Bakji, said the University management team has paid warm visits to the parents of the deceased and has since put in place an investigative panel.
The statement further reads in part: “The panel has interacted with the students’ body, all security agents involved in the crisis, state government, the two communities of Ikole and Oye and other critical stakeholders.
” The report of the panel, which is already before the management, will be taken in at the Senate for further deliberations.
“Meanwhile, the management wishes to inform the public that students’ union activities in FUOYE remains suspended. The University management has put in place a restructuring mechanism to ensure smooth and cordial rapport with students. A caretaker committee will soon be set up in collaboration with the office of the Dean of Students Affairs so as to ensure and maintain a cordial relationship with the management and students’ community.
“In view of this development, anyone who has been parading him or herself as FUOYE students’ representative (s) or leader (s) is hereby advised to desist from such illegality until when the union is repositioned and appropriate leadership is put in place.
” We equally want to assure all parties that justice will prevail in the dealings of management with the situation and no one will be victimized. The University management is also pleased to inform the general public that normalcy has returned to the university environment and lectures will commence in due course after consultations s with appropriate bodies, “it said.
