PRE-DEGREE/CERTIFICATE REGISTRATION/SCHOOL FEES

UPDATE ON THE KILLING OF FOUR STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR JOSEPH A. AJIENKA, AT THE GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAMBERS, SENATE BUILDING, UNIVERSITY PARK ON WEDNESDAY, 17TH OCTOBER, 2012

It is already public knowledge that four of our students were murdered by an irate mob at Omuokiri community in Aluu Clan on Friday, 5^th October, 2012. Quite a lot has happened since the heinous killings were uploaded to the social media—especially the YouTube. I need not recall the global outrage which the gory incident ignited around the world when it was first reported in the popular press.

We have reached out to the families of the bereaved and consoled them on their irreparable losses which are also our own losses. We are in touch with the Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor on the latest developments in the University. The main thrust of our action plan right now is to initiate confidence building measures that would create a conducive atmosphere for the return of our students to the University’s host communities. We want to be sure that our students and staff who live in the host communities would be guaranteed of their safety and harmonious relationship with their landlords as used to be the case. 

On Monday, 8^th October, 2012, I addressed you Gentlemen of the Press on the information available to the University on the horrendous killings and also briefed you on the steps we took to contain the difficult situation in which we found ourselves at the time. I am pleased to note that some major arrests have so far been made by law enforcement agencies for which I congratulate them.

In a society that is governed by the rule of law, we all expect that everybody that is directly or remotely connected with the heinous murder of our students will be speedily brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others, who may wish to follow such unacceptable conduct. Nothing but justice will satisfy the bereaved families and the general public that watched the gory lynching of for young men on charges that were yet to be subjected to proper legal scrutiny. 

There are certain positions of responsibility we occupy that demand that we act responsibly for the public good. We must be courageous enough to bear responsibility for our actions and inactions. The Head of Department (HoD) is a statutory member of the University administration, who is responsible to the Vice-Chancellor through the Dean of the Faculty in the discharge of his or her duties.

In enlightened societies where subordinates have cause to openly disagree with their superior officers on matters of principle that are anchored on personal convictions or ideological differences, they resign honorably. One level of leadership or authority does not undermine a higher level of leadership in the pursuit of personal principles or ideological differences, let alone make inciting public statements on a very delicate situation that is capable of engineering a mob action.

The former Acting Head of the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities, Dr. Andrew Efemini, knows very well that he was not relieved of his appointment as Acting HoD because he joined the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a protest over the unfortunate mob lynching of four (4) students of the University of Port Harcourt on Friday, 5^th October, 2012.  No!  He is perfectly free to exercise his freewill as he considers necessary as guaranteed him by the relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution. It is on record that on such instances and numerous others that space constraint would not allow me to list here, nobody challenged Dr Efemini’s democratic right to advertise his grievances the way he demmed fit and proper as a free citizen of Nigeria and an academic. This was in recognition of the fact that he was acting within the law in exercising his freewill as guaranteed him by the Constitution. 

The position of the HoD is a position of responsibility that students and junior academics ought to look up to as a role model.  Dr Efemini did not contest an election to become the HoD of Philosophy Department in this University.  He was one among other equally eligible candidates nominated by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor to make a choice and appoint one of them as Head of Department.  I decided to appoint him. Having appointed Dr Efemini as Acting HoD, he statutorily represents the V-C in the Department and outside the University and whatever he does in that position, I also bear vicarious responsibility as the appointing authority.

And since I am not convinced of his method of making inciting statements that further infuriated an already angry mob protesting the mindless killing of our students at Omuokiri community in Aluu Clan, you would agree with me that Dr Efemini’s ill-advised action on that day inflamed an already tense situation that we were battling on all fronts to contain. Under the untenable situation in which Dr Efemini’s action put me, it was better to protect him and myself. I also have a responsibility to protect the institutional image of the University that was already dealt a crushing blow by the horrendous incident at Omuokiri. I, therefore, had no other choice but to relieve him of the mantle of responsibility so that he could be free to act according to his freewill.

We all know that nothing good can come out of a mob action as was demonstrated at Omuokiri community. The aftermath of that tense situation in the University’s neighbourhood led to the attack on innocent people living on the road to Aluu Clan.  The mob looted, destroyed property and burnt cars and houses. The mob threatened the lives of lecturers and non-teaching staff, including our already traumatized students, who reside in Aluu.  As a result, many of our staff and students no longer feel safe in the Aluu neighbourhood. I have a responsibility to all of them and no responsible administration will fold its arm and watch an individual or group take the laws of the land into their hands through making inciting statements in a situation that called for maximum restraint.

Thanks to the great care and maturity of the Police personnel on duty that day, otherwise there would have been more bloodshed and the Country and indeed the world would have been more alarmed and infuriated. The barbaric killing of four (4) students of Uniport enraged the world and affected the sensibility of all reasonable people who cherish the sanctity of human life and the universal brotherhood of all humanity. It diminished our common humanity.

Inciting one violent mob action after another is an inexcusable celebration of criminality and an invitation to chaos and anarchy that cannot be tolerated by a responsible administration. That was why I removed Dr Andrew Efemini as Acting Head of the Department of Philosophy in line with the extant rules governing the terms of his appointment to that exalted position in the University.

Let me use this opportunity to express gratitude to Gentlemen of the Press for standing in solidarity with us in our moment of grief. Your coverage of the killings at Omuokiri community has helped to focus attention on the issue and was largely responsible for the arrests made by the law enforcement agencies. We hope to continue to count on you as partners in progress. 

JOSEPH A. AJIENKA

VICE-CHANCELLOR

17^th October, 2012

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