‘We Are Starving, Dying’, Students Tell State Govt.

Students of the Bayelsa State owned University, the Niger Delta University (NDU), Ammassoma, has called on the state government to consider ASUU’s proposal concerning the strike action.

The student union caretaker committee in Niger Delta University led by comrade Iboteme Mathias made this known while speaking with newsmen following last week’s emergency meeting held by the academic staff union of universities (ASUU) were it agreed for the payment of two(2) months salary arrears to its members for it to call off its strike.

Iboteme Mathias begged the state government to shift grounds for the overall interest of the students as they are the ones bearing the pains of the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU since April 26th, over non-payment of salaries.

According to him, the strike has led to a lot of unfortunate incidents like the painful death of Obele Wilson, a final year student at the university who was shot by criminals in Yenagoa some weeks ago.

He also noted that some female students of the institution have taken into prostitution and their male counterparts indulging in criminal activities as well.

The comrade lamented how house rents of students in Amassoma have been counting as some of the houses are even expired and students will not be able to pay again due to the nation’s economic recession.

He, however, pleaded with the state government to hear the cries of students and agree to ASUU’S demand of two (2) months salaries.

His words, “The peril of Bayelsa state students has continued to damage the lives of students with promising future. I like to describe it as a cancerous threat to Bayelsa state and the Nation at large.

”Our university is situated in the Niger Delta region, a place considered to be very hostile, since it’s establishment, it has helped to reduce militancy, but since the strike, no doubt, we have witnessed the resurrection of militancy, pipeline vandalism, and kidnapping.

”Some of this students caught up by the strike may have engaged in militancy and other vices to keep themselves busy, which is now constituting to national insecurity.

”The Niger Delta Avengers posing a threat to the nation’s peace and economy may also have been heightened by some venerable students who may have added numerically to the group due to frustration” he added.

It will be recalled that Obele Wilson, a final year, Engineering student of the University was shot dead by armed robbers during an attack on banks in Yenagoa.