It is just a month Ago (11th April - 11th May, 2016)

 It is just a month  Ago (11th April - 11th May, 2016) 

I was there when it all began, I was there right from the pre protest and I could say it wasn’t meant to be like that but who do we blame for how it went.

On Friday (the 8^th of April) I heard of the intending protest and I asked “what for?” Uniport is far behind as other schools had resumed for their second semester, yet student want to protest which possibly will lead to extension of the first semester examinations. I frowned at the issue more when I knew that the reason was because of the injunction made by the V.C “No School fees, No Exam”. First, it had been on the air that the school portal would soon close down which means that students who had not paid their fees will no be able to pay any more. The portal which had closed before now was reopened to allow more students pay their fees. How come students had not yet paid after this Grace? This same students agreed to use the school fees for requirement for the just concluded Student Union Election (some students were disenfranchised – could not vote and could not stand to be voted for, on the basis that they have not paid their school fees) So why raising eye brows when the school says the same criterion will be used for the examination? On the other hand, the routine had been that after the school ‘struggle’, students go and ‘huzzle’ and pay up their debt without which their result and certificate will not be given. How come the school is now mandating the students to pay their fees or have an extra year (a carry over of a whole session – what!) This is pure wickedness.

Another thing that baffles me is the tag “Black Monday”. Immediately I saw the message (which went viral on Sunday) I had the premonition that danger is on the way. I told as many as I could that instead of the protest, student should do a peaceful demonstration. I call it peaceful demonstration cause most students have lost the meaning of peaceful protest. In my preposition, I said, the President of the Student Union Government should call for a congress on Monday morning and inform the students why the examination should not hold unless the V.C reconsiders the No School Fees no Exam Policy. But I was told that my idea would not work so I kept my mouth shut.

So on the said Monday as early as 6am, shouts of come and join the protest rented the air as students from different hostels joined the protest and the East West (Federal road connecting Port Harcourt to Bayelsa, to airport road) became blocked.

It was however a ‘Peaceful Protest’. Members of the community soon joined in support and solidarity. They reasoned that the fees were high as a federal school and that it is wicked to say that no school fees no examination. The SARS officers came and shut into the air and on the tarred road to scare students away. I confronted one who has to come and push me because I refuse to run or be threatened. I told him that common sense should tell him that this student (me) has no weapon whatsoever and so have no reason to fear (I said this to him with the consciousness of being s strong member of a paramilitary organization Royal Rangers). He left me and continued shooting the tarred road. The immediate Senate President of the SUG seeing my doggedness ran up to him and introduced himself, but this gun- power- drunk officer continued his act until students started running towards us (at Abuja Campus Gate – A.P filling station). He and the others started retreating and pleading that we go ahead with our protest.

We walked back to Choba junction (head quater of the protest) and I was marvelled at the number of students who had joined. Passers by and community members have also joined saying they are in support of whatever decision are making because they too have children in the University (Uniport) and that the injunction affects them too. Many were singing "Lale must go o, (3x) e no gree, e no go gree he must go e". Some where saying  "Give us Ajeinka, take Lale give us Ajienka". Soon the S.U.G President was herald to the Junction, his shirt was turned and rough and I said to myself 'here is a unionist'. Not knowing that I thought -out until somebody corrected me "which unionist, person wey go hide for im room, na drag we drag am come out side". Whao! it was then I saw the real reason for his turned and rough cloth. He was helped up the police vehicle where he addressed students (one word I could not hear, he could not acquire attention because while he was talking so many other activities were on) As i made effort to get closer, I heard a herald of V.C!, V.C ! and I said finally the V.C is here. I turned and it was not the V.C I know. A student is impersonating the V.C. The student was brought to a pressman and introduced himself to the Camera "I am the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt..." He continued with his speech but I laughed and left the scene to look around. I visited a classmate in Aluu and was told that the previous day (Sunday, 10th April, 2016) there was a robbery accident in the next street and while the robbers were running away they shot rapidly into the air to scare people away thereby making way for their escape. A bullet had landed on a girl who had gone out to by spices for her food. The girl had died instantly. We had discussed on the rate at which student die by the bullet in recent times in Aluu. Just the Friday before (8th of April, 2016), a girl (student) had gone to drink and smoke 'weed' with her boyfriend who is said to be a cultist. At a point, she became high but decided to give herself a selfie. she took her boyfriends gun and placed it on her cheek and then raised a phone for the selfie. just as she pressed the camera shooter with her left hand,  her right hand pressed the trigger and the shootings happend simultaneuosly. Another story of another robbery was narrated. This time (Saturday, 9th of April, 2016) it was a policeman that was shot.

I returned to the protest ground at about 12 noon, on my way back from Aluu I met student carrying cartons of indomie home. "Whao, so to show their support Indomie noddles had come to give away cartons for free". So I thought, little did I know that students have gone the extra mile of hijacking the indomie van that could not move because of the road block, broken through the I.C.T.C building and cartered away with Laptops, entered into the market and collected goods meant for sale, broken into shops and business centers and carried fans, printers and laptops. Even the petty traders are not left out, their minerals, malts and snacks went down the throat of the hungry protesting students. But then music was on at the head quaters, a D.J is busy doing what he knows how to do best and students are busy dancing to the rythm. It was during this time, some other late comers went to the indomie truck to carry their own carton that the police arrested them. However, students matched to the police station and though they we were informed that the arrested students have been released, some student said they must get to the Police station. Trouble was in the air, I could smell it so strong. I remembered the content of the message sent the previous night "Black Monday" and so many things started running through my mind. I told a friend I wantg to leave now that this police men (SARS) who had been quiet since 10am at the Juction might turn around soon. Just then, to confirm my suspicion, as if they had recieved an order they asked students to clear off. they statred shooting to the air and as students ran for safety, I checked my watch and it was some minutes after 2pm. (I had thought that just like that of August 31st, 2015 (when students protest the death of Kel, we should cleared the road at 12pm with the hope that we had made a statement and if not we resume the protest the next day and again and again until the V.C revokes the injunction and let the exam roll without the school fees issue). From their hiding place, students begin to throw stones and whatever their hands finds on the SARS men. Then tier gas was the next. Lungs was blocked and pepperish, eyes went red. It was during this time that the cry "Sars don kill students o!" was heard. Three holes were made on him. Two on his chest and one his stomach. I looked at the face, he died struggling, he was shot by a wicked officer, he was shot at a close range. He was the President of the Faculty of Management Science. He was the same student who introduced himself as the Vice Chancelor of the University of Port Harcourt.

Few students summoned courage in the midst of the tier gas rushed Peter to the school clinic but then another student slumped. An asthmmatic patient who couldn't breath anymore because of the effect of the gas. She too was carried away and later was said to be dead. My suspicion had been proven. "Black Monday" was a wrong choice. Just then the announcement that all students should vacate the school came. The school had been shut down for a month. To my greatest surprise, some of the students I had the opportunity of telling on Sunday that the Monday protest sould be "a peace protest" led by the S.U.G President, calling for a congress, were the first set of Students to carry their bags running away that same day. Hmmmmm.

My assignment however kept me back. It was a practical technical work and I had used my money to do mine and some other persons' so I had no money to aid my travelling.  On Tuesday Morning, news backed with pictures had gone viral. SARS men had flogged both male and female students mercilessly. Reason being that they were given an order to flog whoever disobeys the "vacate the hostel policy".

What Kind of Policies is our new V.C making? First it was "No School fees, No Exam Policy"  forgetting that they are still the ones who has the final say as the certificate will be with the school until every debt is paid. Come to think of it, it is is not the students school fees that is used to pay their salaries, so why the rush? Now it is "Vacate the Hostel" Policy. This is backed with "With immediate effect". I do not think that the school senate know that some students are not due home until after the session, that some students are the only survivors of the family as Boko Haram had wiped the rest family just after they are helped out of the village, that some students live very far and cannot afford the high transportation fare  which has been raised because of fuel scarcity?

Students left, some into churches, some into off campus friends houses, some parents came to take their children and their children's stuffs home but some (like me) stayed behind until Sunday (17th of April, 2016).

We, (those who satayed behind) lived in the schol hostel with fear as day and night we hear of SARS coming and we have to run into hiding. The flogging of Tuesday morning had come with warnings and so who ever is caught is taken to their office and a sum of N50.000 is collected to bail the student out. We also noticed that the SARS , JTF and even NPF officers took charge of the school and its' environ. At Choba junction, you cannot walk with your hands down or in the pocket, it must be up even if you are with a heavy bag. Punishment like frog jump, touch your toes etc was given to people who did not obey the raise your hands command.

While we discussed the state response of the V.C to the events on radio, we learnt that a vehicle carrying students from Port to Lagos on Tuesday 12th of April 2016,  had an accident and 3 students died instantly, but on Thursday  the 14th of April 2016, the number increased to 11. So how would the resumption be? Full of candle light, wake keeps anmd funeral services of students who died as a result of the protest held as a result of No school fees no exam policy of the V.C.

Will the reason for the protest be resolved (having it that the dead are the sacrifice for the change) or will the V.C and members of the University Senate stand their feet on the policy? Will the Student Union remain silent as school resume or the cry for a change of V.C remain?

So many things run through my mind and i could go on writing but i'll like to stop here for you to think along.