UNIUYO: Students agreed to decision to increase transport fares – VC

The vice chancellor of the University of Uyo, Comfort Ekpo says the decision to increase transport fares from the town campus to the permanent site for Engineering Students was arrived at after consultations with key stakeholders within the community adding that the idea was agreed to by the student leaders.

The increase in the transport fare sparked a violent protest by students which led to the shutting down of the university following widespread destruction of property and the death of at least one student.

According to Ekpo who spoke while conducting Governor Godswill Akpabio around the university to inspect the extent of damage, the authorities decided to increase the fares from N100 to N200 from the town campus to the permanent campus after the students who were members of the committee set up by the university had brought a transporter to the university management for approval.

She said it was shocking for the students to turn around and disagree with the arrangement resulting in the rioting and closure of the university.

Checks showed that many buildings were set ablaze including the office of the vice chancellor as well as that of the deputy vice chancellor in charge of academics.

Following the closure of the university, students were asked to vacate the hostels less than three weeks after their resumption for the second semester of the current academic year.

She did not however explain the rationale behind the invitation of the police to the university; a development many observers said had infuriated the students and inflamed the situation which later degenerated into a clash between the two groups.

Meanwhile Governor Godswill Akpabio has suggested the setting up of a panel of enquiry to find the cause of the student protest.

“This act is a disaster. My observation here is that the destruction of the buildings was targeted at the 20-year-old school records and examination results. It was a pre-planned arrangement by miscreants, using the opportunity of the peaceful protest to raze down buildings where the school’s academic records were kept.”