Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has urged the management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent student protest that resulted in the closure of the institution.
The governor made this call while addressing university staff during their visit on Tuesday.
Expressing concern over the disruption of academic activities, Governor Otti emphasized the importance of understanding the root cause of the protest to prevent future unrest among students.
He underscored the need for an unbiased investigation, stating, “It is important that you get to the root of the matter. If the investigation panel does not do a thorough job, you may not get to the root and one of the ways to solve a problem is not to prejudge it. That (prejudging) will close your mind to every other suggestion.
“Let’s find out what exactly is the reason for the protest, I think it turned out violent. Let’s do a thorough investigation to know the root cause and deal with it from the root”, he said.
The protest, which led to the indefinite suspension of academic activities, was reportedly triggered by students’ dissatisfaction with the increment of school fees.
Governor Otti also discussed plans to establish an Agric Business Incubation Centre at the university and directed relevant government officials to engage with the institution on this initiative. He directed the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Monica Ironkwe, and the Principal Secretary to the Governor to engage the institution on the way forward.
Addressing a legal issue concerning the university, the governor assured that a court case instituted by the Abia State Internal Revenue Service two years ago, regarding unremitted PAYE, would be withdrawn for out-of-court settlement.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to resolving issues amicably, stating, “There is no way, we as a government would take you to court . Since it is something that predated us, we are going to look into it and discontinue it. It doesn’t make sense. I will instruct the Chairman of the BIR to discontinue the suit. There is nothing we cannot sit down and resolve it,” Otti added.
Furthermore, Governor Otti pledged to address challenges hindering the university from obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy for its land by engaging with the university and its host communities.
