The Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,Umudike (MOUAU), Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe has reacted over the protest of students of the institution,which was occasioned as a result of the sorry state of the Umuahia- Ikot Ekpene road,as well as condoled with the family of the student that lost her live on the said road yesterday.
In a Press Release signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Adanma Odefa, the School’s Management expressed sadness over the latest painful loss of Miss Chidinma Ogbonna, a 500-level student of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, asking her family to please accept their heartfelt condolences.
According to the Press Release, the School Authority stated that it is longer news that the Abia State end of the Umuahia/ Ikot-Ekpene road has become barely passable, adding that the sorry state of the road has occasioned untold hardship on the staff and student populations, including the loss of lives of students.
The Vice Chancellor assured the students that he is well aware of the challenges presented by the sorry state of the road and that he has been making frantic efforts to see to it that the road is fixed as quickly as possible.
” For the past few weeks, the VC through his SA on Projects, Engr. Richard Onyeaso, invited the local FERMA on an inspection of the bad spots, took pictorial evidence and prepared a strong appeal letter to FERMA. The VC personally took these documents to FERMA headquarters in Abuja to make further physical appeals. His efforts were rewarded with an official approval for palliative work to begin on the road”,the Release stated.
The Vice-Chancellor having addressed the students, thanked them for keeping their protest peaceful and also for extracting a promise from the State Government to commence palliative work on the said road.
He therefore, appealed to the students and entire University community to maintain calm and return to their lawful businesses while they wait for FERMA or the State Government to mobilise and begin work on the road.
The Release further appealed to the operators of mini buses, motor tricycles aka ‘keke’ and motorcycles aka ‘okada’ to be more responsible in operating these vehicles,as their recklessness, unfortunately have become a major contributor to some tragic incidents that could be avoided.
Meanwhile, the appropriate officers of the University have been mandated to run advocacy programs, targeting commercial vehicle operators on that road to curb reckless driving, whilst they keep reminding FERMA to implement the approval that the Vice Chancellor has obtained.
