There is a massive protest ongoing at the Federal University of Agriculture (renamed Michael Okpara University of Agriculture), Umudike in Abia State.
Reports say the protest had been brewing for months owing to the sharp increment in school fees at the end of last year.
Added to that, the University Management under the Vice Chancellor, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, had commenced the implementation of a Biometric exercise that will restrict students who hadn’t paid their school fees from partaking in the examination.
With the exams starting yesterday, the VC and his team went from hall fo hall, sending out students who defaulted, with some who really had paid affected by the inconsistency of the Biometric system.
However today, the students took laws into their hands, pounced on the VC, chased him out of the hall, destroying properties of the University amid teargas and gunshots from the school security.
The students were seen chanting “No Gree For Anybody”, “we no go gree o”… chasing the VC, throwing stones and sticks at his official vehicle.
The University has been indefinitely shut down as students have taken over the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, putting on bonfires, etc.
Iwe, a Professor of Food Science & Technology, is a former Head of Department, a former Dean of Students Affairs, and a former Deputy VC (Academics) of the Institution.