FUTO Convocation: Don't fight universities, stay away from their Land, Jonathan warns hosts

Don't fight universities, stay away from their Land, Jonathan warns hostsCommunities hosting institutions of higher learning have been urged by President GEJ to be accommodating and supporting instead of fighting as was witnessed at FUTO where local youth destroyed property worth millions of Naira in May 2014.
President Goodluck Jonathan has warned host communities to stop encroaching into university land.

The President gave the warning at the combined 26th and 27th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of technology, Owerri (FUTO) which held on the 12th of December 2014.

Represented by the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Jonathan said hosts are support to support the ivory tower which he called centres of excellence for the generation and the distribution of knowledge meant for societies' development.

The President added that the issues of land encroachment will distract the ivory tower from its mandate of teaching, learning and community service.

It will be recalled that last May, youths from the FUTO host communities, Ihiagwa and Obinze, attacked the institution, destroying properties worth mllions of Naira.

The attackers has alleged that institution failed to pay due compensations for land use.

At the time, FUTO's Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Emma Enemuo, alleged that the youths were instigated by their traditional, even as a number of the attackers were arrested.

FUTO Convocation: Don't fight universities, stay away from their Land, Jonathan warns hosts