Hundreds of youths drawn from Otukpo, the host community of the Federal University of Health Sciences, in Benue State on Monday protested against what they term as ‘acts of nepotism’ and high tuition fees in the new university.
The youths under the aegis of the Otukpo Redemption Movement, the Otukpo Youth Forum and the Otukpo Accountability Forum began their protest at Edikwu Junction, opposite the former Otukpo Stadium, and marched through the stretch of three kilometres to the gate of the university at Otada and disrupted academic activities.
According to The PUNCH, a spokesperson for the protesting youths, Alechenu Adah, said one of the concerns of the youth was the neglect of the host community by the university authority in the area of the employment of junior staff.
He claimed that a similar situation is playing out at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Adah under the Chief Medical Director, Dr Silas Ochenjele.
He said the protest will run for 14 days until their demands are met.
He said, “A society that has impartial and effective justice system will eventually become a peaceful society but a society that allows bias in justice system can only create an illusion of peace. Otukpo district seeks for justice.
The protesting youths carried placards with various inscriptions such as; “FUHSO VC runs school as private entity,” “FUHSO VC has no regard to the host community policy on employment,” “No management meeting in FUHSO for four years,” and “FUHSO VC and the MD have no regard for federal character principle,” among others.
