Saturday, 27th may was a double celebration in the state. it was a combination of both the state's 50th Anniversary and the yearly children's day celebration. thus the state Government marked it in a big way.
The event which attracted visitors from all works of life cross the nation was held at the U. J. Esuene Stadium.
To have enough crowd, the commissioner of youths and Sport, Mr. Asu Okan was Mobilized with 10million Naira to mobilized youths/students to attend the event.
The Honorable Commissioner who is an Alumnus of University of Calabar UNICAL employed the services of the SUG Presidents of UNICAL, CRUTECH and Health-TECH including NYSC and Nigerian Youth Council to help gather youths and Students to grace the event. This was based on the promise that the students and youths will be demobilized back to their various destinations.
after the events students gathered at the Commissioners office to cash their promise which the commissioner started disbursing as promised.
CRUTECH and HEALTH_ TECH were given N500, 000 each while NYSC and Nigerian Youth Council were given N1,000,000 each.The Commissioner thereafter claimed he had given UNICAL N1,000,000 which the SUG president denied collecting.
This caused an uproar with the Commissioner requesting the SUG president to follow him to where he will be given UNICAL's share of the National cake as it were.
after waiting for about 30 minutes, The students who had been under scourging sun since morning without food were now angry and restless for the unnecessary delay, took their anger and frustration to the high way. Their actions caused hold ups along the high. The security personnel around tried to pacify them before the ugly incidence happened.
unverified reports has it that the student whose both legs were shot had earlier at the governor's office when students were demanding for their demobilization jumped the governor's office fence in an attempt to snatch some cash.
The Commissioner said he recognized him because he was behaving unruly throughout the agitation by the student, that he had personally cautioned him to take it easy.
Stories has it that when the students moved to the high way to stage their anger the same boy was seen struggling a rifle with one of the soldiers and that was what led to his being shot.
TDN is yet to verify this side of the story as none of the students found within the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital premises where the affected students are receiving treatment accepted to be part of the protest.
Speaking with journalist, the UNICAL SUG president, he alleged that the protest was staged by "Aggrieved CRUTECH students whose president absconded with their N500,000 and some unidentified UNICAL students."
Still speaking on the matter, the SUG president said two of the students shot were of UNICAL while one was of CRUTECH. He said he had spent over N300,000:00 as at report time.
The president also called on the Commissioner of youth and sport, Mr. Asu Okan to come to the aid of the Students he also called on the purportedly absconded CRUTECH SUG president to come forth and claim his student.
TDN later gathered that the Commissioner of youths and sport visited the affected students at the hospital on Monday where he was almost lynched by angry students but not for security operatives who whisked him away.
Ukorebi Esien
Blogs and Edits for TDN
0 comments: