This is a season of unease for Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) as youths of Obio Akpa community are troubling the institution for scholarship awards.
To demonstrate their seriousness on the issue, the aggrieved youths embarked on a warning peaceful protest by barricading the university’s main gate.
The protesting youths blocked the entrance of the university, displaying placards with the inscription such as: “We need scholarships, we need employment, give us our CLO, bring back our rights” .
They lamented that since the death of the former Community Liaison Officer( CLO) they have been requesting that a new one be elected, but the university has not really paid close attention to their request, hence the slack in flow of communication between the community, and the university.
Leader of the protesting youths, Iboro Jimmy, told newsmen that the management of the university has not employed them since, which is a disturbing situation.
In a swift response to the youths demand, traditional rulers of the area appealed to the youths to give the management a little more time to meet with them and discuss these pressing issues. He also promised that the issue will be given prior attention to.
Addressing the protesters, the head of campus, Professor Nkanikpo Ibok assured the youths that the university will work towards the development of the community.
Nkanikpo announced that a town hall meeting has been fixed to further discuss and explain the workings of the university to the host communities.
Some of the residents of the community who spoke on this issue said the protest is a wrong action as this can cause the university to be taken out of the community to another location.
Others, who spoke in support of the protest, say it is a right thing to do so that the community members can benefit from the university, particularly in terms of employment and otherwise.
