Rumuolumeni Community Shuts Down Ignatius Ajuru University, Protests Neglect

Indigenes of Rumuolumeni Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State barricaded the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education on Monday to protest their neglect by the institution.

The aggrieved host community shut down administrative and academic activities for some hours as it demanded employment opportunities from the institution.

The demonstrators, comprising youths, women, elders, and chiefs, accused the university of marginalising the host community during its recent recruitment exercise.

They said out of the 1,500 employees recently hired by the school, only nine people hailed from the community.

The indigenes carried placards like, “We demand justice for Rumuolumeni indigenes against the Governing Council and Management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education.”

The protesters blocked the gate with their cooking utensils and expressed their willingness to remain there until the school management answered them.

One of the protesters, Tony Ogbonna, said that the demonstration was peaceful and was aimed at compelling the university authorities to act justly.

“Here you can see widows, women, men and youths. They are not here to fight; they are not here to cause problem.

“Our being here today is not because we want to stop the school from operating, we are here because we want the right thing to be done, we are here because we are demanding our rights.

“We see no reason why 1,500 persons will be employed here as permanent staff in the school, but only nine slots were given to the community.”  

“We are not happy about that, so the community has gathered here today to say no to that. We don’t want it anymore. Whatsoever that belongs to us should be given to us.”

He appealed to the Rivers State Government to intervene, explaining that the land on which the university stood was not sold but donated by the community to the institution.

“We are calling on the state government that they should intervene in this so that what is supposed to be given to the community, be given to the community.”

“We did not sell this land to the school, we gave them this land because we want things like this to come our way, because we want them to employ our children as well.

“We see no reason why they’ll carry people from outside when the host community is not being carried along, so that is what we are asking for.”

Also speaking, an elderly woman said she had worked at the university for nearly two decades without being made a permanent employee.

“I have worked as a casual staff member since 2006 till now. From N5,000 to N7,000, to N10,000, to N15,000 now, I’m still there, no conversion to permanent staff, so we are not happy. I am old now in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, but they don’t recognise us.”

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Okechukwu Onuchuku, while addressing the demonstrators, explained that the employment process was merit-based and supervised by the dissolved governing board chairman.

He maintained that the process was transparent and fair.