NANS CHIDES FAYEMI OVER EKITI FEDERAL VARSITY CRISIS

The National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS) Joint Campus Committee (JCC), Ekiti and Ondo States Axis has said the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi should be blamed for the crisis over location of the new Federal University in the State.

Chairman of the Ondo/Ekiti Axis of the NANS Joint Campus Committee, Comrade Aremo Gbenga Oyebode, in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti today and made available to journalists said the governor was wrong to have announced Ikole-Ekiti as the site for the university without approval from the Federal Government.

Lamenting the incessant bloodshed in the State since Fayemi became governor; the students' body said urgent steps must be taken to put an end to the growing insecurity of lives and properties in the State.

“Again, Ekiti State attracted the attention of Nigerians in particular and the world in general for the negative reasons yesterday when five people were shot dead by the police at Ikole-Ekiti and several other people injured over a protest that could have been avoided in Governor Fayemi had acted within his powers.

“Firstly, Governor Fayemi does not have powers to determine where a federal institution should be located and he ought to have realised this before making unguarded statements on location of the federal university. Or hos possible is it for Governor Fayemi to have given what does not belong to him?

“If Fayemi had not announced Ikole-Ekiti as the site, the people of the town would not have protested when Oye-Ekiti was announced by the federal government as the location of the university.

“Therefore, the bloodshed witnessed in Ikole on Thursday was caused by the governor and he must be ready to accept responsibility for it.

“However, it is our plea to the people of Ikole to be cautious with their agitation for the university so as not to jeopardise the brotherliness among Ekiti people.

“Ekiti is Ekiti whether it is Oye, Ikole, Otun, Omuo or Okemesi and nothing should be allowed to set our people against themselves,”

Oyebode said.
While calling for thorough investigation of the alleged shooting of the protesters by the police, which resulted to the death of five people, NANS said; “The police was wrong to have opened fire on people who were protesting peacefully and if it is true that those that were killed were shot by the police, appropriate sanctions must be applied.”