Tony Osauzo, Benin
Some lecturers, who are members of the Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, have reportedly sustained injuries when they were attacked by students of the university.
The ASUU members were said to be holding meeting on Tuesday when the students stormed the meeting venue, inflicting injuries on the lecturers who were reportedly rushed to a private clinic in Ekpoma town.
The students were said to have disrupted the meeting after news filtered to them that ASUU was holding a congress to call for strike at a time the non-academic staff workers are on warning strike.
Eye witnesses said the students threw stones, broken bottles and blocks into the venue of the meeting while chanting solidarity songs such as ‘We no go gree, No more meetings leading to strike, We are tired of staying at home due to strike.”
Following the incident, the ASUU, yesterday, held another congress at another venue outside the school premises.
Speaking shortly after the meeting, Chairman of ASUU-AAU chapter, Prof. Monday Igbafen, said the students almost burnt them alive inside the hall, explaining that they were discussing issues about the vice chancellor’s wife that took the union to court when the students attacked them.
He accused the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, of orchestrating the attack.
“It was God that saved us. Security has collapsed inside the school. The vice chancellor cannot guarantee security.
“We are now crying to the government and the council that our lives are in danger and lecture cannot hold in an unsecured environment,” Igbafen said.
The university spokesman, Edward Aihevba, said it was wrong for the leadership of ASUU to always paint the vice chancellor black whenever any situation arises, explaining it was students that violently disrupted the ASUU meeting.
He said the school management has begun investigation into the incident and assured that anybody found liable would be brought to book.
“The university management received a report that some students violently disrupted meeting of academic staff at about 1pm on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.
“The management condemns the action of the students for whatever reasons and in whatever guise.
“The students have no right to disrupt any approved meeting.
“We appeal to academic staff to go about their duties in the assurances of peace and calmness in the university,” Aihevba said.