The Bayelsa State Government has condemned the violence and attack on the state-owned Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, by some hoodlums yesterday.
In a statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, blamed opposition political leaders for the mobilisation of the hoodlums who barricaded the gate and disrupted academic activities in the institution last week to protest the retirement of some overaged and redundant personnel.
Soriwei said unscrupulous politicians were taking advantage of the ignorance of young people and hoodlums to sustain a protest against the decision of the governing council and management of the NDU.
The governor’s side accused the opposition politicians of mobilising and arming the hoodlums to disrupt academic activities of the institution by forcibly disrupting the university activities for close to two weeks .
He said it was rather unfortunate that unpatriotic elements would launch sustained attacks on the university even when negotiations on the retired over-aged and redundant personnel had been concluded and agreement reached with the host communities on the matter.
Soriwei said the government had been patient on the activities of the hoodlums who blocked and mounted canopies on major roads in and outside Amassoma.
Thegovernor’s aide noted further that the hoodlums attacked a detachment of policemen who were deployed to the NDU and injured some of them yesterday. The hoodlums also attacked and ransacked the Amassoma Police Station.
He said: “The Bayelsa State Government has condemned in strong terms the violence unleashed on the Niger Delta University and its environs by some hoodlums who are funded, mobilized and armed by unscrupulous opposition political leaders.
“These mischief makers have mobilised, funded and armed hoodlums to disrupt academic activities in the school, and forcibly closed it down even when negotiations on the recent retirement of overaged personnel of the institution have been concluded and agreements reached.
“These hoodlums have for the past one week stopped free movement of vehicles and persons on public roads. They disrupted conduct of businesses in and around Amassoma by putting canopies on major roads to pander to political interests who are desperate to tarnish the good image of the government.”
Even as fighter jets continued to fly over Enugu State in the past 48 hours, the police in the coal city have announced the arrest of some members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM).
They were arrested for allegedly disrupting public peace in the state.
Some fighter jets have taken over Enugu Aerozone in the past two days, a situation that has made residents to live in fear.