Federation of Ekiti
State Students Union (FESSU) yesterday called on President Goodluck
Jonathan to stop the political manipulation of the location of the
federal university to avert crisis in the state.
Protests have
trailed the recent decision to move the university from Ikole-Ekiti,
which was the initial town named by the state government as host for
the newly created institution. The student union gave a 7-day ultimatum
to the Minister of Education, Ruqqayat Rufa’i to make fresh
recommendations to the Federal Government affirming the location of the
university in Ikole Ekiti and condemned the sudden change of position
by the government on the issue, barely two months after the choice of
Ikole Ekiti was announced.
The students, in
statement signed by the National President of the body, Sunday Asefon
and made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, wondered why the
Federal Executive Council (FEC) made a u-turn on where the University
should be sited.
The students
expressed solidarity with the people of Ikole Ekiti over their
agitation that the location of the University should remain in their
domain and warned that failure to keep the institution there could lead
to anarchy in the state.
FESSU blamed, two
Abuja-based politicians for allegedly using their closeness to the
presidency to thwart the collective efforts of the state and advised
the personalities to stop sowing the seeds of discord among communities
in the state.
The students’ body also condemned the alleged killing of five
protesters by the police in the town last Thursday during a protest
against the relocation of the University and called on the Inspector
General of Police, Hafiz Ringim to probe the alleged killings and bring
the perpetrators to book.
