Following a riot in Government Technical College, Ewet Offot in Uyo local government area, 34 students suspended by Akwa Ibom State government would not be allowed to return to the school on its resumption.
Already, the government has closed the school indefinitely following the unrest on Wednesday, February 19 in which the students were said to have engaged in unruly behavior, destroying school property and causing injuries to police officers and members of staff.
A statement issued by the state’s Commissioner of Education, Professor Nse Essien on Thursday, February 20, said the students whose names were compiled through intelligence sources and whose names are with the security agents, would not return to the school even when it reopens.
Essien condemned the students’ attitude, especially after they were warned in October 2019 to desist from behaviours that would paint the state in a bad light.
“In the last two weeks, we have recorded a lot of incidences of violence attributed to students of Ewet Technical College and we condemn them in strong terms.
“Henceforth, it is mandatory that the students will pay for any property they destroy. It is high time they started behaving like students.
“The school has become so notorious for fomenting trouble everywhere. Anyone caught causing trouble will spend some time in detention and anyone found culpable will be dismissed to serve as a deterrent to others,” he told the students.
The commissioner stated, “Government Technical College, Ewet in Uyo metropolis is hereby shut down indefinitely and all students are advised to vacate the school premises with immediate effect. Staff members of the college are, however, advised to continue to report for duty.”
He, however, stressed that the students would bear the cost of damages done on the school property on resumption and condemned in strong terms the students’ action, which resulted in the injury of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) while attempting to quell the riot.
“As I speak, the DPO is in a critical condition in hospital as a result of injuries sustained in an effort to quell the students’ unrest. A member of staff of the college is under surgical operation on his left eye, while another was seriously injured.
“Several other members of staff and the general public also sustained varying degrees of injuries, while several vehicles windscreens were smashed as a result of the riot, which has almost become a trademark of the college. As a responsible government, we cannot fold our hands and watch our schools being turned into a den of hooligans,” Essien noted.
