On the 2nd of December, 2013, the supposed day of resumption of the University of Nigeria as announced by the Registrar of the University after the five months strike embarked by ASUU, the host community held a protest to express their dissatisfaction of the administration of the University over what they termed disregard and inability to honour the agreement reached by the University and their fore-bearers.
The protest took place at the
Nsukka campus by the people OwerreEze-orba. OwerreEze-orba is a neighbouring
village which shares boundary with the University. The place is popularly
called “Greenhouse” because of the agric greenhouse there. The University of
Nigeria, Nsukka campus was built upon land belonging to Odenigwe, Onuiyi,Nru,
Obukpa,OwerreEze-orba and none of these communities are given light, good road,
water, or job opportunities as benefit for giving out their land.Some parts
of Owerre-ezeorba(Green house) used to get their electricity from campus but on
February 19th, 2011, UNN cut off their light because according to UNN, the load
was too much and it was affecting the campus transformer that supplies light to
the agric and veterinary farm. The community was asked to buy transformers
which they have done and installed but UNN has refused to connect the light
back and this community has been in darkness for nearly 2 years now.
On Monday, the 2nd of
December, the host community came out in large numbers for the third time in
the last two months to express their grievance to the public. Despite the heavy
rain that fell that they, the people were determined to go on with the protest.
The women sat in front of the VC’s office all day, roads entering into the
University especially the Greenhouse school gate, roads from UBA through Okpara
Hostel to the Library down to the Faculty of Arts, Personnel and the Freedom Square
were blocked. The men and youths sang
around the campus with drums and gongs.
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