29th January, 2022
Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt
The National Association of University Students has issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the Police to remove a controversial blockage that is causing traffic gridlock close to the gate of University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT.
In a press statement Signed by Najeem Abayomi, its Deputy National Secretary General(DSG), the National Association of University students(NAUS) also condemned the Attack on the Dean of Student Affairs and the President of Students’ Union Government of UNIPORT personnel of Choba Division of Nigeria Police on Friday.
The students regretted that the blockade by the Police, Choba Division, was going to cause traffic jam and will disrupt the forthcoming matriculation of UNIPORT slated for Tuesday February 1,2022.
The students recalled that killing of police officers led to the blockage of the turning point opposite the Police station (Choba Division) for more than a year, but the blockage has not been removed even after the killings have stopped.
“It is very important for the Nigerian Students and the public to know that the Dean Of Students’ Affairs of the prestigious University of Port Harcourt had dialogue with the Police officers of the said station to get the blockage removed from the turning point on two different occasions.
“The blockage is always the cause of road traffic on the East-West road, which is the major road to the University. Several road accidents has occurred in that same road as a result of the blockage.
“Due to the upcoming matriculation event for the newly admitted students of the institution, that will be taking place on Tuesday, 1st of February, 2022, the Dean Students Affairs Dr. Chima Wokocha and the Student’s Union Executives led by the SUG President, Gift Ubabike, had intervened that the blockage should be removed before the matric to avoid hold up and lock up during the matriculation period”.
The students regretted that despite past appeals and engagements, the Police went ahead to arrest the Dean of Students’ Affairs and the SUG President of UNIPORT after beating two of them and some students like common criminals and even threatened to gun down one student for recording the scene.
They stated that the Dean of Students’ Affairs and the SUG President of UNIPORT were released after the intervention of the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday and the Deputy Chief Security Officer of the University of Port Harcourt.
“To avoid the anger of Nigerian Students, we are giving the Nigerian Police (Choba Division) 24 hours ultimatum to do the needful and remove the blockage. Injury to one is injury to all”, Abayomi said.