Jonathan’s town boils as youths protest varsity admission quota

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 BY SIMON UTEBOR, YENAGOALeave a Comment

President Goodluck Jonathan’s hometown, Otuoke, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was on Thursday thrown into chaos.

Aggrieved youths from the President’s community protested the alleged refusal of the Federal University, Otuoke, to employ and give out admission slots to indigenes of the community.

The protesting youths barricaded the entrance to the university.

The protest, which started at about 8am lasted many hours, leading to the closure of the entrance into temporary sites of the institution and the disruption of examinations for pioneer students and the 200-level students of the institution.

It was learnt that the protest was called off by the irate youths following the intervention of riot policemen and the military from the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield.

Also, head of the Oloibiri of the Ijaw Youths Council, led by Mr. Osaanya Osaanya, the Ogbia clan head of the Ijaw National Congress, Chief Wilson Obi and the Chairman of the Oloibiri Clan Youth Assembly, Ifiola Moses implored the youths to cease hostilities.

The protesting Otuoke youths said recruitment had not been done in the last two years.

The youths demanded that a total 319 names agreed by the community should be employed. We also demand admission slots from the university.

They also demanded a Memoradum of Understanding with the community on issues of employment and admission.

But the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, reacting to the incident, said the university had never failed in engaging the host community of Otuoke on issues of employment and admission as stipulated in the provided legislation.

He said, “Community pressure will come up and we have handled them well. But we don’t want to be compelled and the academic activities of the students distrupted.

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