Scores of angry youths of Amassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest, calling for the sack of the Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Prof. Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo.
The youths, who barricaded the main gate of the institution, expressed displeasure over the way and manner Edoumiekumo has been running the NDU without any due regard for people of the host community.
They alleged that since his appointment, the VC has treated them with contempt and levity, which they can no longer bear and asked the state government to sack him without delay for the sake of peace.
The protesters attributed the recent crisis which rocked the institution to the VC’s maladministration and warned that if he is not sacked, there might not be peace in the school as “no one is happy with him”.
Speaking, they said the NDU was a priceless gift to them by their hero, the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha and will not watch it go down because of the repressive and well-calculated actions of the VC, vowing to defend it at all cost.
“This our government, will not kill us. As he (Edoumiekumo) has said that an Amassoma man will not grow in this school that Alamieyeseigha built, he too will not live to see the next year. He too will not grow. As he said Amassoma man will not grow, he too will not grow. Anywhere we see him, we will fall him.
“If Alamieyeseigha was still alive he couldn’t have been able to do this nonsense. But we know that someone else will grow from Amassoma again to speak and fight for us. Anywhere we see you Mr VC in this life, prepare yourself, prepare yourself, VC”.
Meanwhile, multiple sources have revealed growing unrest in many quarters over fears that Prof. Edoumiekumo is allegedly trying to get the law establishing the university amended to extend his tenure as Vice Chancellor which is due to expire in May next year.
Investigation has revealed that based on the law, the tenure of Edoumiekumo started the day he was appointed in acting capacity and his later confirmation as the substantive VC, which will make him five years on the saddle by next year.
According to the sources, it was the same calculation which he (Edoumiekumo) supported that paved the way for his predecessor to be removed, as both the time of acting and confirmation were calculated.
One of our sources said: “His predecessor was removed after his period of acting and confirmation was summed up and that is the position according to the law. He (Edoumiekumo) gladly supported it and then took over in acting capacity and he was later confirmed as VC.
“Now his tenure is ending next year and plans have been perfectly executed to do everything possible to make the government give the university more money and also get the law amended so that his time of acting will not be calculated like it was done to his predecessor. Some forces have been commissioned for that assignment”.
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