Students’ Protest Paralyses Abakaliki GTC

The protest by students of the Government Technical College (GTC), Abakaliki on Wednesday paralysed academic and social activities in the institution.
A correspondent who monitored the protest reports that the students were protesting alleged poor feeding, poor hostel management, lack of functional technical equipment, among others.
The Senior Prefect (SP) of the college, Mr Uche Nwankwo, who spoke to journalists alleged that the school had been poorly managed since its handover by Ebonyi State Government to the Catholic Church in 2016.
Nwankwo alleged that the management of the school was not committed to both academic and welfare of the students.
“We are protesting so that the government, the church and the general public can hear us because several efforts we have made as students to get the school management listen to our grievances have failed.
“Since the full takeover of the school’s administration by the Catholic Church in January, 2017 there has not been any practical in any of the subjects we offer in the school and this is a technical college.
“The principal stopped all recreational and sporting activities in the school and as I speak to you there are no functional electric bulbs in any of the dormitories and the school refectory.
“We have complained and complained and the principal was not receptive to the problems we are going through and that is why the students decided to embark on the protest as a last resort.
Meanwhile, Vice Principal, Rev. Fr. James Nwofoke, said that the withdrawal of the N5,000 subvention paid by the state government for each student per term was affecting the effective running of the school.
He said that the management depended on the N5,000 paid per term by students for the running of the school, which he explained was not sufficient to provide the needs of the students.
“We depend on the N5,000 paid by students which includes the tuition and hostel service charge for the running of the school and the money is hardly sufficient to provide the basic needs of these students.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi Commissioner for Education, Prof. John Eke, who intervened decried the development and said that government would interface with the school management and Catholic Church to address the problem.
The commissioner who debunked the alleged removal of N5,000 subvention paid on each student by government per term appealed to the protesters to remain calm and go back to the classrooms.