The Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has suspended the Students’ Union Government (SUG), following the violence that marred its election penultimate Monday. MUBARAK SALAUDEEN (ND II Student) reports.
The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has been suspended. Its suspension followed the violence that marred its election penultimate Monday.
The campus was thrown into disarray few minutes before the results of the six-hour election were to be announced. It was gathered that a fight broke out among students while the election outcome was being awaited.
The fight, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, led to shooting by a group of gunmen suspected to be secret cult members.
The electoral committee members scampered for safety; students ran helter-skelter. In the commotion, a student whose name could not be confirmed was hit by stray bullet on the shoulder. Another, a women, fainted as guns boomed.
The timing of the election seemed unsuitable, given that it came two days before the second semester examination.
The election started peacefully at 9am in all faculties, with accreditation of students. By 3pm, voting ended and collation of ballots followed.
But, a few minutes before the announcement of results, there was pandemonium, following a brawl among students.
The election was keenly contested. The post of president had four contestants – Olawale Shebiolegebe (Office Technology Management) and Oladele Lawal (Accountancy), Akeem Adeniyi (Hospitality Catering Management), and Emmanuel Awoleye (Electrical Engineering).
Other offices also had more than two students contesting to occupy them.
It was gathered that there were signs of violence during the exercise but the school security personnel did not act fast enough to contain the threat. At 8pm, sporadic gunshot rented the air. The arrival of policemen from Sabo Police Station restored normalcy to the campus.
Students chided the college management for poor security arrangement during the election, saying the authorities only invited the police when havoc had been wreaked.
CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the gunshot victim was taken to the nearby Nigerian Army Reference Hospital. The unconscious lady was revived at the college’s medical centre.
Eyewitnesses said the election was rowdy at the faculties of Engineering, Management and Business Studies, Science. A student in the School of Management and Business Studies, who pleaded for anonymity, said he could not vote because of the fight.
The following day, the college management rose from an emergency meeting, announcing the suspension of students’ union activities on the campus.
The Registrar, Ms BIekoroma Amapakabo, signed the memo which placed the ban on unionism indefinitely.
The memo reads: “Students unionism in the college is suspended with immediate effect and till further notice. All form of protest and social activities are also banned. Students who violate this order will be sanction.”
The Dean, Students’ Affairs Unit, Mr Omobayo Raheem, in a telephone chat, said some students resorted to violence when they became desperate and wanted their wishes at all cost, thereby disturbing the peace on the campus.
He added that the suspension of the union became necessary to restore calmness to the school. He advised students to comply with the directive, adding that the incident would be investigated.
Asked about the condition of the gunshot victim, the Dean said the student was recovering and “will be discharged soon”.
Unconfirmed reports say the student has been transferred from the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba. But, Raheem refused to comment on this. The victim was said to be a Mass Communication student.
