My School Is Located In A Robbers’ Den – Provost Voices Out

The provost of  Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, Prof. Josephat Ogbuagu, has described the institution’s host community as hostile because of criminal activities.

Ogbuagu, who spoke with journalists at Ajali, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state after a one-day sensitisation meeting with host communities of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and FTC Umunze by the Federal Character Commission, that though there was adequate security in Anambra, the same could not be said of Umunze.

He said, “There is security in Anambra State but Umunze as part of Anambra State is a den of robbers.”

The provost urged the state Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, to save the college and town from the situation.

He said workers of the college were all living in fear, noting that the level of insecurity could lead to low productivity if allowed to linger.

Ogbuagu said the college’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunday Ike, was shot and killed by armed robbers after stealing his jeep in his family house at Umunze.

According to the provost, “The school’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Okoli Onyekachukwu, was shot and robbed at the entrance of the college by robbers who accosted him with a motorcycle and dispossessed him of his valuables, including N330, 000 cash.

“Mr. Emeka Umendu, a lecturer at the Department of Computer Education, was robbed of his Nissan Sport Utility Vehicle and other valuables.

“A female member of the staff was said to have received threat message from a gang of hoodlums, asking her to send N2m to them or they would kill her.”

The Federal Character Commission had on the occasion enjoined the Heads of Federal institutions to uphold Federal Character principles in their recruitment of workers.

The Executive Chairman of FCC, Dr. Shetima Abba, who gave the charge at the meeting, observed that the issue of recruitment had often led to conflicts between the management and community leaders.

Abba, who was represented by the Commissioner representing Ekiti State in FCC, Mr. Bunmi Ojo, maintained that the lopsidedness noticed in the staff recruitment in some federal institutions would be reviewed.

He warned that any chief executive of such institutions who would default the principles would be held liable, accountable and prosecuted where necessary.

He said, “The federal character principles as contained in Section 14(3) and (4) of the Nigerian Constitution, as official state policy, was to ensure that Nigeria stayed together as one entity.

“It was an adopted practice from other plural society with similar characteristics such as diversity in ethnicity, religion and culture. The aim is to foster national loyalty in order to promote national unity. This is done by providing guidelines and formula that guarantee fairness.

“With the increasing misunderstanding between the management of federal institutions and stakeholders of host communities, the commission decided to embark on a nationwide public enlightenment programme to educate the general public on the application of federal character principles in recruitment in federal institutions.

“Host communities should see institutions located in their areas as establishments for promoting national unity and cohesion, rather than an organ for quarreling over employment.”