Students of University of Jos (UNIJOS) on Wednesday 7th September peacefully protested against the controversial 10,000 developmental levy. Their leaders including Hitler Pwajock the SUG president cautioned them to peacefully demonstrate which they did but on the contrary the armed mobile police men turned it to a police students battle, MUSLIUDEEN ADEBAYO reports that the encounter nearly resulted to another bloodshed in tin city until the military men halt it.
Police are corrupt, Police Oyoyo, Police are thieves, Olopa Ole, they are wicked, they no get sense, Na only 20 Naira they no how to collect,, give them money they will free you even when you kidnap their family ,these and other ridiculous statements were those used by the university of Jos students to mock the Nigeria police shortly after a peaceful demonstration staged by the former against the new developmental levy by the management of the institution that nearly resulted to another police to students Franca in Jos the Plateau state capital.
Like all other students protest in the university, Tuesday 7th September was not business as usual for academic and non academic activities and commercial activities, management, business men and women mobile police men commuters on the ever busy Bauchi road when the students for the first time this year took to the street to kicked against the new developmental levy they described as a total exploitation and outrageous in a peaceful demonstration that lasted for six hours.
The levy according to a release from the information unit of the institution and statements of the institution eye professor Sonni G. Tyoden during an Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Jos network centre proggrame “meeting point” last month “is to assist the institution to complete the ongoing projects and embark on new ones to facilitate the complete relocation of the institution to its permanent site which has been under construction since 1997”. He argued that he urged the parents to pay it to ensure developmental projects in the permanent site”
This is coming after a stakeholders meeting held on Saturday 17th July which had in attendance of some parents lecturers, management and students, the management took the parents to a facility tour around the two campuses and hostels and the parents were convinced by the institution that the levy is to assist on renovation and construction of new projects.
A five men developmental committee consists of two parents (outside the institution), two parents (staff of the institution) and the S.U.G. president Hitler Pwajock was set up to finer tune on the way forward and decide on the amount to charge. The committee which later resolve for a 10, 000 levy according to a source later sidelined Hitler, and this make all his cabinets efforts to reverse the decision meet brick wall up to this moment
Although some of the students, a president of one of the faculties saluted the Vice Chancellor’s. Imitative to facilitate development and other structures put in place since last one year such as fencing the institution for the first time, beatification of the environment but he however said the money may be unavoidable by some of them asking the institution to reduce to an affordable amount.
This decision did not go down with others although majority of them are still at home for the three month holiday they could not however do so until the institution release the time table for the registration which started on Monday 4th,
Parts of the S.U.G. efforts to resist what they called “a total way of disqualified poor students the rights to acquire university education” was a press conference held at Aluta center Abuja hostel, various press releases placed on notice boards, entrances to all hostels, canteens, ATM points, banks and other strategic places warning students not to pay any kobo.
First attempt to say no to the levy by students was made on Monday 6th when about 1500 students stormed and locked the SUG white house at Naraguta . Most of them who were told for the first time about the new levy said they could not wait to join the protest when they had the rumor, they said they could not continue with the registration at their various banks saying thy are unaware of the time the new levy was incorporated.
They were on Tuesday 7th gathered at the Aluta center Abuja hostel at about 6.05 am. For a peaceful protest.Others from village hostel, Naraguta, medical hostel and those in town later joined to kicked against the levy, Their convergent about (about 3000 harmless students) paved way to the question of who will lead the struggle and to know whether the alleged 5,000,000 (5 million Naira) bribe collected by the SUG president is true. The bribe according to a departmental president from the faculty of Social Sciences who bagged not to be named was given to him after a purported memorandum of understanding jointly signed by him and the speaker of the house Hon. Michael Jemlak. The source commended the SUG officials and Hitler, said though he had earlier tried but could not denial the allegation because of sudden change of his attitudes toward the issue. He added that “we all departmental presidents fixed a meeting at permanent site on Saturday but we were chased by the police and the security, some of the officials came but Hitler who promised to join us when called said he was at the Jerimah Gyan’s weeding at the detriment of his constituents, I wonder who gave the security the information”, he asked”.
But Hitler while addressing the congress before the protest highlighted some of the steps taken to reverse the decision denial the allegations saying “if any body have facts to prove it he or she should do so”, he said they have tried but all their pleads had so far meet bricks wall. And promised to continue to plead with the management while pleaded to the students to demonstrate peacefully.
The students all rendering various solidarity songs with leaves, placates, moved to the entrance of Naraguta hostel but were welcomed with gunshots, and tear gas by the mobile-armed policemen. To they had to climb the fence or follow the gate that lead to permanent site,, on their way ,they barricaded the ever busy Bauchi road, causing commuters to be stranded for over four hours, while commercial activities in the area were put into a stand still.
They were welcomed during Hitler’s address at the from gate of the main entrance of main campus by another batch of mobile police men of about 300 who continue to shot on air and release tea gas until the area became unbreateable for staff, business men and women and the protested students. They later entered the main campus chasing any sighted students, beating them, harassing them and remain at the front of the petrol stain opposite the main campus gate up to around 5.30 pm when our reporter revisited the campus.
In this senseless police brutality and intimidation, at the main campus, more than five students collapsed as a result of the effects of the tear gas, while over twenty (20) students including the S.U.G. president Hitler were arrested. They were later released after a series of beating; front jump while over 250 sustained various degrees of injuries.
The police instead of allowing the V.C or his representative to address the students continue to tear gas them within and outside the main campus even when they later recon verged at the front opt the pharmacy gate.
They later recon verge at the opposite f the Jikrit hotel barricade the road theta lead to Bauch, Gombe, Bauch Ring Road and Terminus but could not achieve their aim, this period three ladies were severely injured while another suddenly fainted, this provoked the student6s to start re sending the tea gas cans, stone and any other objects they saw on the road to the police . Their reaction made the police to continue to chase them up to Block A at Naraguta hostel. At Jones Junction, innocent citizens of uncountable number were harassed by the police, more that 10 students were beaten and some were arrested though they were later released.
The senseless police brutality for the second time which students termed as “intimidation in their own hostel” at Naraguta which nearly resulted to a free for all fight between the armed mobile police men and the harmless students lasted for over 50 minutes before a batch of soldiers some of whom were attached to Naraguta , Bauchi Road, Baptized Secondary School could halt it. The soldiers who also sympathized with the students over the incidents appeal to them to go back to their various hostels and houses saying they will talk to the president Goodluck Jonathan and the V.C to do something about the mater. An interesting part of the proceeding was when a student attempted to give one of the policemen 20 Naira as a form of bribe saying they only no to collect 20 Naira and nothing else
Some of the students frown to the police brutality, they shot tear gas on me twice, I was abandoned dead when I fainted, you can see am just coming from the hospital, I guess the management did not send them to attack students. Said a 400 level Computer Science student while revealing his ordeal to our correspondent. He however appealed top the Vice Chancellor professor Sonni Tyoden to “pleas reverse the decision or reducing it to 2000 or 3000”.
Other students who corroborated him also appealed to the school management to reverse the decision..
At the time of filling this report rumors have it that the institution is planning to reduce it to 5,000 but there is no official statement related to it. This , students are however promised to be grateful it it will be reduced.
