NSUK: Days after protesting students were killed, Jonathan approves construction of boreholes

Following a protest which led to the killing of students of Nasarawa state University last Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the construction of boreholes in the state owned institution.

While the students were protesting against the persistent shortage of water in the school, a detachment of soldiers stormed the school hours into the demonstration and in a bid to disperse the protesters fired live bullets that killed least two of them. The students however claim four were killed and not two as claimed by the state government and other security agaents.

However, in a response to the uproar the incident had sparked, President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday approved N20 million to the management of the university for them to commence work on the construction of bore holes in the school.

Jude Imagwe, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Matters, presented the letter of approval for the boreholes to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Shamsudeen Amali, when he led other students union bodies to the school.

He quoted Mr. Jonathan as saying that the gesture was aimed at enhancing availability of water as well as to reduce the plight of students, which led to the last week students’ unrest.

“I am disturbed and worried about what happened in which some students lost their lives as a result of the protest,” the presidential aide quoted the president as saying.

“The sum of N20 million was approved to the institution to enable it sink more bore holes in order to reduce the problem of inadequate water supply in the institution.

“He who provides water provides life. Life will be unbearable to the students if there is scarcity of water in the campus. They (students) will not even concentrate on their academic activities at the same time,” he added.

The president described the incident that led to the killing of the university students as unfortunate and uncalled-for.

He urged the student union bodies to always employ dialogue and peaceful means in fighting for their rights.

Responding, the vice chancellor thanked the president for the gesture, saying it would go a long way in addressing the water scarcity in the school.

Amali promised to make judicious use of the money for the purpose it was meant.

He denied inviting military personnel to quell the students’ protest that led to the killing of two students of the institution.

The President of the Students Union Government of the University, Rabiu Tijani, thanked President Jonathan for the gesture, saying the steps taken by the state legislature to bring the perpetrators of the act to book was laudable.