The plan by the authorities of Imo State Polytechnic (Imopoly) Umuagwo, Ohaji to hold its matriculation ceremony scheduled for today, may be in jeopardy following a demonstration action embarked by host communities in front of the school premises.
Ominous signs that the Friday’s event to formalize the admission of fresh students would be a failure emerged when host communities under the banner of Imo Poly Stakeholders Forum, performed a peaceful protest in front of the Institution’s main gate.
Armed with placards and chanting solidarity songs, the stakeholders stormed the school to express their grievances over the alleged plot by the state government to relocate existing and vital courses to other parts of the state under the newly introduced multi campus system.
Our reporter who visited the scene of the event observed that the communities numbering more than 3000 including the youths, elderly and women, mounted several canopies with plastic seats for what they tagged “Operation Imo Poly Occupation”
On what led to the protest, the spokesperson, Prince Rollyngs Ohagwam noted that the alleged deceit and insincerity that state government and management of the school is displaying prompted the renewed protest at the school gate adding that the concerned authorities are behind the action. According to him, government and authorities of the school have reneged from earlier agreements and promises reached on the issue of multi-campus system by going ahead to move away vital courses in Engineering and Management that existed since the Institution was elevated from Monotechnic to a Polytechnic status.
“The state government and management of Imopoly are not sincere and forthcoming on this issue concerning their plans to relocate vital courses to the proposed multi-campus areas. When we met His Excellency, Governor Okorocha during last year’s protest on the issue, he said that the multi-campus is sheer rumour peddled by enemies of the government who want to blackmail the administration. He told us there is nothing like that by the present government”.
Continuing, the groups spokesman said that “Gov Okorocha asked us Ana Apa Ala Apa? Who told you that? No, it is not possible. He went ahead to tell us that the multi campuses will run affiliate courses like what Alvan does to UNN. And no course will move out from Umuagwo.
“Same promises and sentences were gotten from Rector, Fr Madu, who noted that no course will move out of Umuagwo to any other place. The school management even placed advertorials in newspapers to debunk that move. But today, we are witnessing another hide and seek game on the part of government. They have sent vital courses out and left behind agriculture related courses meaning that the school has returned to its old status of College of Agriculture. What a way to deal with the people who voted for him, who he refers as “My people, My people”.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the ground further frowned at the action of the government and school management by stating that Okorocha is trying to rob “Peter to pay Paul” in removing vital courses to other places when it was not his administration that established Imopoly.
“Imo Poly foundation law has no provision for multi-campus IMSU that has a multi-campus law from time in memorial has not been actualized, why Imopoly that is suffering accreditation problem and infrastructural development? Of the 380 hectares of land acquired by government without adequate compensation, 10% of the land has not been developed and Okorocha administration is moving out the school to other place under multi campus guise. We shall resist it with the last drop of our blood. We shall adopt civil and democratic principles to air our views and to let government be aware of our grievances” he said.
The host communities went further to alleged that the management of the school is employing vendetta agenda to victimize perceived persons kicking against the relocation of courses, by posting their relations who are staff of the Institution to less-fancied locations.
“To worsen our worries, the management has started witch-hunting our relations with postings because of our agitation that the school should not be balkanized for undue reasons” he added.
As at the time of the report, all activities in the school were crumbled and the matriculation unlikely to hold. The vehicles conveying canopies and chairs for the event were turned back and refused entry into the school. While no government or management of the school came to address the protesting group, security agencies who mediated for a peaceful resolution were told to relay their grievances to appropriate quarters.
Efforts to speak with authorities of the school failed as their phone numbers were not available.
The Secretary to the state government, Prof Anthony Anwukah who raced to the scene was not allowed to address the crowd when the demonstrators demanded for the Governor, flying pure water sachets flung at him forced Anwukah to quickly enter his vehicle and escape.
