The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FUTO

  • FUTO, communities trade blames over collapsed bridge

    A critical bridge, the Otammiri-Ihiagwa Bridge has collapsed at last after hanging on for years. The colonial bridge linking most communities in Owerri West Council Area of Imo caved in after withstanding pressure and countless palliative repairs for decades.

    Consequently, the communities, which also host the famous Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) are cut off from the rest parts of the state.

    This unfortunate incident has further strained the relationship between the host communities and the university.

    It happened at a time the institution and host communities were engaged in a fresh controversy over ownership of the university land with the Federal Ministry of Education threatening to relocate the university.

    The host communities and the university have been trading blames over the collapse of the bridge.

    The university has come under severe attack for contributing to the collapse of the bridge.

    The communities alleged that the university has been mining sand in the Otammiri River, against the advice of the host communities, which they said culminated in the eventual collapse of the bridge.

    A President General one of the communities, Emeka Nkwoada, alleged that the current Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Francis Eze, chased away the locals who were mining sand along the river with canoes as their means of livelihood and brought in dredgers to mine sand in the river.

    According to him, the practice, which was endorsed by the host communities, eventually weakened the bridge and resulted in its collapse.

    He lamented that, “now the communities are cut off from the rest part of the state and we are stranded. When the University started commercial sand dredging in the Otammiri River, we warned against the implications.  We are holding the University responsible”.

    The Attorney of the communities, Sam Anokam, also blamed the university for the unfortunate incident, adding that the management refused to heed the warning of the communities.

    Read Also: We’re not intimidated by threat to relocate FUTO- Host communities

    He said, “The university is not established to mine sand; it is established to teach and carry out researches”.

    But the university described the allegation as an attempt to rope in the university in the collapse of the bridge.

    The institution’s public relations officer, Uche Nwaelue, said the university did not at any time bring dredgers to mine sand in the Otammiri River.

    She said, “The Vice Chancellor did not at any time bring dredgers to the Otammiri River, the allegation is an attempt to rope in the university “.

    Meanwhile, the communities have accused the university of flouting the laid-down procedures of land acquisition in line with the Land Use Act.

    Addressing journalists on behalf of the eight communities, Anokam disclosed that the university has not paid full compensation for the land 37 years after it was acquired.

    He said, “The allegation of hostility and encroachment intends to make the host communities look wicked or that they want to eat their cake and have it, but land acquisition has a procedure as set out in the Land Use Act and due compliance of the procedure obviously will not create any problem with any acquiring authority or institution of government that has been given the land in any way but in the case of FUTO, there was no compliance with procedure of land acquisition and that has been the crux of the matter.

    “At a point in 1982, the University Council agreed that for the area the University has not paid for, the host communities are free to farm on it until they are ready but it will surprise you to hear that about one year ago, the FUTO VC bulldozed the cassava farm of the women and surprisingly replanted cassava on the plot of land, they went further and chased the youths dredging sand on Ottammiri river and brought in their dredgers, after chasing the villagers, while I called this press conference is to put things in clear perspective, to make the entire public understand that FUTO is the cause of whatever problem they have.

    “If you acquire land through the due process, it requires that you should pay compensation and promptly too but 37 years ago they only took about 1000 hectares out of the entire area and paid part compensation and now you claim you have paid for all, thank God we have the records.

    “We have given a bill and the proper thing they will pay for the whole land is now is N5.4 billion for Unexhausted Improvement alone, not including structures, we sent it to the Federal Government, they should bring the money and pay, the law is clear, we cannot panic because you are threatening to relocate the university and you go out to tell the people that we are not cooperating, what have you given us to make us bulge. If there is a law that says that compensations are not paid on lands where universities are sited, they should quote it let us know. The Federal Government has always paid compensation for lands acquired for Federal Universities, so why must our own be an exception.

    “On the other hand, we have said, those areas you have not paid for, which our people may have somehow had scattered development within, return them to us that we are prepared to give them back1300 hectares of land in lure of compensation for the encroachment so are we not fair? Here we are, our indigenous population is increasing, settlers are coming in droves within the area so if we don’t have legitimate right over our land we cannot put into proper use.

    “When you now deny us the use of our land then it means you want to impoverish us deliberately but we refused to be impoverished for whatever reason, so their hue and cry and probably threat to remove the University does not move us in any way, we are dealing with people in citadel of learning and we expect them to come with facts, not with propaganda, they are not politicians.

    “It is important the entire public understand that FUTO does not want to face facts and that is why they are coming up with this propaganda. The Federal Ministry of Education does not have the capacity to solve the problem; the Ministry that has the capacity to solve the problem is handling it”.

  • Death as sex maniacs

    The death of three students of Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), during a sex romp after allegedly downing overdose of tramadol and Indian hemp is heart rending. Thefourth person, the lone girl involved in the orgy attended Federal Polytechnic Nekede. One can only imagine the trauma parents of these students face as they try to reconcile the tragedy that has befallen their families. They have my sympathy.

    Many of them would be wondering how their wards sent to study and prepare their future ended up as objects of public shame. If tramadol and Indian hemp could speak, they would have boasted like some misguided political actors did not long ago that for the delinquency of our society, four of our undergraduates have ended up in bodybags. If the dead could be given a second chance, the foursome may be so ashamed of their behaviour they may turn to hermits and nuns foreswearing celibacy.

    But alas, the dead have no second chance to mend their ways. They are gone forever, leaving shame and regrets for their family and their society. Our dear country, if it has feelings, would bend in shame for breading children who consume themselves in perfidious circumstance. It will look itself in the mirror and see a crooked nation breeding crooked children. It will put on sackcloth and mourn in mortification for siring bunkums. Our country will realise that what you give is what you get.

    Perhaps, if we are living in a highly litigious environment, like in the United States of America, the law could be tested whether the parents of the foursome are not victims of a failing state? As high as the presidency, we were told recently that tramadol has been banned from entering our country. Also we know that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) every now and then emphasises its relevance by displaying seized kilograms of banned Indian hemp.

    So the two drugs that may have caused the deathof the foursome are banned drugs in our country; yet tons of the banned substance are out there, as a snare to our misguided youths. Well as a defence, the authorities sued could claim the students died of sexual overdose, not drug abuse. Whichever. In raising the scenario of a court case and culpability of our country in the death of the foursome, one is reminding the authorities to do more than they are doing to reduce the availability of these dangerous substance across our country.

    Who knows the contribution of these dangerous drugs to the banditry that has put our nation on the spot recently?President Muhammadu Buhari said he is one of the unhappiest president, because of the kidnapping, killings and other forms of atrocities that have overwhelmed large swaths of our country. It may be necessary to undertake a study of the contribution of illicit drugs to the upsurge of criminality that has left many homes in mourning.

    Like light weapons, which have been described as weapons of mass destruction, illicit drugs have become weapons of mass destruction for our youths. At a talk shop for parents of secondary school students I attended, drug abuse by teenagers turned a hot debate. Parents were shocked to learn how our so-called soft drinks when mixed withgrinded sweet, turn into hard drugs. In fact one of the parents urged for a ban of a particular soft drink in the school premises.

    Another parent who claimed to be a social worker narrated that about 75% of the youths at the psychiatrist hospital where he works are victims of drug abuse. He worrisomely reiterated that the range of dangerous drugs keep mutating by the day. He explained how a cocktail of what ordinarily most parents will not raise an eyebrow about, if they see their children with it, could become a snare unto death as drugs.

    Since the job of government includes how to help citizens to help themselves, those in positions of authority should wake up to save our next generation from themselves. Not long ago, the Nigerian Customs reportedly seized a container load of tramadol; in some states in Nigeria, growing Indian hemp is lucrative, while in some parts of the country, drug abuse is a social habit for many. While reinforcing our law enforcement capacity to combat these challenges, sociological approach is also necessary.

    It is important to study the trends, the remote causes, where the abuse is preponderance and why. There is also the need to encourage schools to incorporate the dangers of drug abuse in their curriculum, to teachstudentsthat they must avoid the concatenation of ordinarily harmless substances, as it could turn totheir devourer. Parents should also be regularly engaged, and educated on what to watch out for, as early signs of potential abuse by their wards.

    While our country is devoting huge resources to teach sciences in schools, resources should also be devoted to the study of social challenges. Obviously social related ailments have become more malignant than biological diseases. The foursome consumed in Imo State, few hours before their death may have been certified healthy. Yet,after a few hours of madness, they have been consumed by what may have started as a social pressure from their peers tobelong to a reckless class.

    While the authorities at FUTO cannot be held accountable for the tragedy that came calling, they must not allow the tragedy to pass unnoticed by every student in the school. They should ensure that the school openly put on sackcloth in mourning, so thatthose who are engaged in similar idiocy are adequately forewarned. The shame should be collectively borne so that those who have ears will never be tempted down such an ignominious road. I hope they would not play the ostrich so the shame can quickly pass by.

    The governments must also put in place stricter laws, and create a better capacity to enforce it. Any person who still engages in the importation of tramadol must be caught and made to face the law. A programme to educate managers of our youths, should be put in place to teach them what to watch out for. Every school, whether public or private must have a curriculum on guidance and counselling, and qualified personnel with knowledge of these modern challenges must be recruited to help our youths.

    Adult delinquency which is rampart especially as corrupt practices in government, are the forbearersof these youth delinquency. So the adults must also mend their ways. When politics is turned into a means for criminal self-aggrandizement, the younger generation learn negative ethos, and these translates into cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice and other social vices that plague our society. Who will save our future generation from perdition?

  • Three Nigerian students die of tramadol, codeine overdose

    Three students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) were found dead in a hotel after allegedly taking a mixture of tramadol, codeine and vodka.

    One other student was still unconscious as at the time of filling this report.

    The bodies were found at the Sunshine Castle Hostel, Umuchima ihiagwa, one of the state lite communities close to the University.

    Two of them, according to an eyewitness account, died instantly while the only lady amongst them and another male student were found unconscious.

    They were immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Owerri where they were admitted at the Intensive Care Unit.

    Read Also: Renewed cult clash claims three lives in Calabar

    The male student later died at the hospital, after efforts to revive him by a team of medical personnel failed.

    At as the time of filling this report, students have vacated the hostel while the caretaker has been arrested by the Police.

    However when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mrs. Uche Nwaelue, said that the institution cannot yet confirm if the victims were its students.

    Confirming the incident, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Ikeokwu, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed two of the students died in the hospital after they were found unconscious.

    According to him: “The caretaker reported the matter and our men visited the scene and found the four of them stark naked and unconscious.

    “They were rushed to the hospital where two of them gave up the ghost. Substances suspected to be tramadol and Indian hemp were found with them”.

  • Medical doctor dies after watching Nigeria, Argentina match

    Dr Kennis Ebirim, a family physician with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), has been confirmed dead after watching the 2018 football match between Nigeria and Argentina holding in Russia.

    Family members, colleagues and neighbours confirmed the death of Ebirim to our reporter at his residence in Owerri.

    The deceased was reported to had slumped and rushed to hospital after Nigeria was ousted of the world football tournament by Argentina.

    Dr Chikere Ebirim, a lecturer in the Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), and younger brother to the deceased, expressed shock over the development.

    He said: “We were together on Sunday with my dad. He used to have cases of heart attack but he was also on medication.

    “This is so shocking because he was sound in health when he left Owerri on Monday morning for Abakaliki where he works.”

    Dr Hyacinth Emele, the immediate past Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Imo state branch, also confirmed the incident to our reporter, describing it as a heavy blow to the association.

    “The NMA in Imo and indeed in Nigeria is in deep shock. This is a heavy blow. More than just a colleague, he was a brother, one who could never hurt a fly,” he said.

    On the possible cause of the doctor’s death, Emele said: “Dr Ebirim has been a hypertensive patient who has also been on medication.

    “What happened to him is what we call sudden death syndrome which most times are caused by a cardiac arrest.

    “As a patriotic Nigerian who is passionate about his country just like many of us including me, it is possible the outcome of that match may have triggered the confusion in his system, causing him to slump.

    “I think an autopsy will reveal what exactly transpired in his system. When that is done, the exact cause of death will be made known to the public.”

    Sgt. Michael Attah, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Heartland Estate, Owerri, where the doctor lived with his family until his death, said the management of the estate confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

    “We thought it was a joke until we confirmed it on Wednesday. We feel sad because he was someone we trusted with the position of treasurer in the estate,” he said.

    Ebirim is survived by his father, wife, four children and relations.

  • FUTO to graduate 2,325

    •36 make first class 

    The Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), will graduate 2,325 students during its 30th convocation ceremony.

    Thirty students made first class.

    Vice Chancellor Prof. Francis C. Eze, who addressed a pre-convocation conference, said 2,325 would get first degrees while 438 candidates will get postgraduate degrees and diplomas.

    According to him, the university came first in the Open Education Resources ranking of Nigerian Universities organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    He said: “We are also preparing some new programmes for NUC’s verification and the result of the 2017 NUC accreditation of our programme showed that all our eight programmes were fully accredited.”

    He added that the institution introduced information technology to broaden teaching and learning in line with modern trends’

    Such information, Eze noted, is deployed in payment of fees, course registration, hostel allocation, examination and processing of results/transcripts, thus improving efficiency.

    “Thus, of the 45 programmes, only two have interim accreditation status while others have full accreditation. We are also preparing some new programmes for NUC resources verification,” he added.

  • FUTO shutdown as non-academic staff begin strike

    FUTO shutdown as non-academic staff begin strike

    Academic and other official activities were yesterday grounded at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) by protesting members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU).

    The aggrieved workers, under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Scientists (NAATS), said they were following the directive of the national body.

    Chairman of JAC Comrade Ibeji Nwokeoma said: “The Federal Government gave N23 billion for the payment of earned allowance to all workers of Federal Universities, unfortunately, the money was hijacked by our sister union and they shared it as their spirit moved them, giving over N18 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) alone, leaving a little above N4 billion for three independent staff unions. ASUU hijacked the money at the national level in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.

    “We felt it was wrong and we asked the Federal Government what the sharing formula was, why they could give one union over N18 billion out of the N23 billion. We also want to know the yardstick for the sharing, whether population or the nature of work they do in the university, but till now, the Federal Government has answered us.

    “So we are demanding that if what they gave is academic earned allowance as they called it, the government should give us our own fair share of the largesse. They should also give the Non-Academic Staff their own earned allowance because we all work in the university.

    “We have been peaceful all these while about the strike but the government has been recalcitrant and that is why we adopted the measure to draw the public’s attention to prevail on the Federal Government to address the issue so that our students will not suffer”.

    SSANU Chairman, Comrade Franklin Matheus, said: “We want to inform the public through this action that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government on issues including shortfall in workers’ salaries, earned allowances and Staff School emoluments, but none has been implemented. We agreed that these earned allowances will be paid before the end of last year, but what the government did was to give ASUU N23 billion and a paltry N4 billion to all the non-academic staff unions. So if the Federal Government can pay N23 billion to ASSU as earned academic allowance, we are demanding N66 billion as our earned allowances.

    “We want the government to obey the judgment of the Industrial Court. We can only end this strike if the government addresses the skewed allowance and pay us N66 billion which is the earned allowance for non-academic staffs.”

  • FUTO alumni begin N220m housing project

    The Alumni Association, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), at the weekend flagged off a N220 million housing project for members of staff of the institution.

    The project which would provide 20-unit houses will be completed within one year.

    Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, President of the Association, Ndubuisi Chijioke, said the building project would gulp N220 million.

    He also said the staff quarters would have steady supply of electricity.

    ”The FUTO Alumni Association has decided to build 20 units apartments for the university staff quarters. It is going to be energy efficient for 24 hours, with batteries and inverters. This will cost the association about N220 million.”

    Chijioke, said the decision to build the apartments was driven by the feedback the Association got from the authorities of the institution on the immediate areas they could intervene, adding that the buildings would comprise of four-bedroom, three-bedroom semi -detached, among others.

    Also, two brilliant students with Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPA) of 4.0 in their 200-Level were offered scholarship by the Association.

    The President, presented the benefitting students with a cheque of N100,000.00 at a short ceremony held in the Senate Chambers.

    He disclosed that the students will continue to enjoy the gesture as long as they maintained 4.0 CGPA.  He added that the association also selected 20 graduates to undergo Graduate Training Internship Programme, to help both the unemployed and underemployed among them.

    Speaking, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Francis Eze, said the management, members of staff and students were delighted by the gestures of the Association.

    He commended the group for the initiative, adding that the new set of houses will go a long way to cushion the accommodation challenges faced by the staff of the university.

  • Fire at FUTO’s ICT Centre

    The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) building of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State, has been razed by fire.

    Eyewitnesses said the inferno started at 8:30am in the Computer Laboratory, when employees were yet to resume for work. The incident happened about three months after the ICT building was renovated, following its destruction during the February students’ riot.

    The source of the fire remained unclear as at the time this report was filed, but eyewitnesses said it might have been caused by power surge

    A  guard at the building, who pleaded for anonymity, recounted how the fire started.

    He said: “When I resumed for work that morning, there was electricity. So, I decided to charge my phone. About an hour after, there was power outage; it was restored within six minutes. Suddenly, I started perceiving the smell of burning wires, but I did not immediately know where the odour was coming from.

    ‘’When I went outside to check, I saw thick smoke billowing from the zinc roof of the building. I raised the alarm, but most of the workers were yet to resume. I noticed that the fire was coming out from a junction box, which indicated that it may have been caused by electrical fault. The next thing we heard was a loud bang from the computer laboratory.”

    By the time the inferno was put out, no fewer than 130 computers, 130 UPS devices, stabilisers and air conditioner appliances had been destroyed. But there was no loss of life.

  • FUTO reopens three months after violent protest

    Three months after the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State was shut in response to a violent students’ protest, the school has re-opened for activities. The resumption followed the recommendations by a panel set up by the school Senate to look into the violence.

    There were several botched attempts by the school to resume after the panel concluded its findings, but the resumption was delayed till last week.

    Students were asked to pay reparation fee of N12,500 as part of the conditions for resumption. There was also no reduction in the school fees – the cause of the protest.

    As they returned, students were required to present evidence of payment of approved school fee, evidence of payment of surcharge fee, and signed letters of undertaking to be of good conduct.

    Postgraduate students were exempted from praying the reparation fee. The school said the first semester exams would start three weeks after the resumption.

    The students demonstrated against fee increment. The protest started peacefully before it resulted in destruction of school properties.

    Fifteen students were arrested in connection with the violence that marred the protest.

  • FUTO to investigate alleged extortion of students

    •Two lecturers fired for sexual harassment, fraud

    The Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) is investigating the alleged extortion of students through imposition of illegal levies by lecturers and heads of departments.

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof Francis Eze, who briefed reporters at the weekend after a protest by  students, said the management would  investigate the charges on registration of courses through the sale of scratchcards.

    He said the university does not charge any money for registration of courses.

    “We have gotten information about the sale of scratch cards for the registration of courses by some departments and we have ordered full investigation and anyone found culpable will be punished.”

    Eze added that the university sacked two lecturers for violating its rules.

    He said: “We dismissed one lecturer for sexually assaulting students. When we got the complaint, we set up a committee to investigate the allegations and it was established that the lecturer was guilty, he was summarily dismissed.

    “The other one was accused of collecting money from people seeking admission.

    “When we got the allegation, we carried out our investigation and when it was discovered that he actually committed the offence, he was dismissed as well.”

    The Vice-Chancellor, who did not name the sacked lecturers, maintained that the university would not tolerate any misconduct or breach of its rules.

    Condemning the students’ protest , which led to  vandalisation of school property and the looting of the ICT Centre,  Eze described it as the worst in the school’s history.

    He said: “I have been in this university for a very long time and we have had pockets of protests by students but nothing can be compared to the last incident.

    “We had hoodlums and enemies of the university invade the campus armed with weapons.”