Lasting peace returns between College of Education (Technical), Umunze in Anambra State, and the host community, following understanding reached by the institution and leadership of the town. Special Correspondent, OKEY MADUFORO, reports.
Palace of the traditional ruler of Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Promise Eze, the Abilikete of Umunze, was literally besieged by titled men and other prominent citizens of the town recently. It was not one of those routine palace meetings by the red cap chiefs and members of the Igwe-in-Council, Ndi Ichie; it was rather an extra-ordinary meeting of the leaders of Umunze and members of the town union. They were later to engage in a crucial meeting with the management and authorities of College of Education (Technical), Umunze.
Established in 1989, the institution took off with a post-primary school in the area as its temporary site with a view to relocating to its permanent site 10 years after.
Terms of agreement included the institution carrying out its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the host community.
But in an irony of sorts, the college had been in a running battling with the community – a situation that had at times disrupted academic activities in the institution. Some years back, for instance, irate youths from Umunze had carried out protests against the management of the institution, accusing it of not carrying out its CSR to the town.
President-General of Umunze Progressive Union (UPU), Dr. Donald Okoli, attempted an explanation of the issue at stake.
He said: “The relationship between the school and the host community has been frosty for a long time now, and this is sad. We have issues with the school authority which have to do with a lot of things.
“As part of the school’s responsibilities, Umunze town should be accorded concessional admission for its indigenes, special employment opportunities, and award of contracts by the college, among others. But it is unfortunate that none of these things is being done. It also sends danger signal on the fate of the school.
“I am a lecturer with Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka. I know what the university is doing for Awka people. Our own will not be different.”
Okoli argued that there has been several allegations of divide-and-rule in the relationship adopted by the college with the host community, stressing that the trend had created so much communication gap between the town and the school authorities. We view this as unacceptable to us and should be discountenanced,” he remarked.
Also speaking on the issue, Igwe Eze stressed that there was monetary compensation due to the college’s permanent site land-owners that is more than N90 million, adding that nothing is being done about it. “Also going by our agreement, the college is to relocate to its permanent site after 10 years and hand over our property to us. It is more than 10 years now and we do not know the status of that agreement. We still have that memorandum of understanding signed between the college and our community,” he added.
Eze further remarked that “even the assistance to the community in the area of electricity supply is non-existent, and at the moment nobody is talking about it. In other places, higher institutions help in developing the host communities in many ways. But in the case of Umunze, it is a different kettle of fish”.
He noted that at several occasions, the community had to impress on the youths of the area not to take on the school’s management.
TheNiche gathered that about six years ago, the college had security challenges following alleged vandalism and burgling of its property by suspected youths from Umunze who had claimed that they were not offered employment in the institution. There were also reports of some students of the institution severally complaining of attacks by suspected hoodlums under the guise of protests.
“Much as we do not subscribe to the idea of taking the laws into our hands and we dissociate ourselves from any act of lawlessness, the college should also do the needful by carrying the community along at all times. Our community’s vigilante group has been alive to its responsibilities and I can assure you that criminality has no place in Umunze Town,” an indigene, who pleaded anonymity, volunteered.
It was apparently on the strength of these agitations that the traditional ruler, the president-general and leaders of thought in Umunze stormed the office of the Provost of the College, Prof. Okechukwu Ogbuagu.
Initial fears of showdown between the community’s leaders and the school management were allayed when the two groups emerged from a closed-door meeting three hours later with a resolution signed by both parties.
Said Ogbuagu: “The meeting was fruitful and we all appreciated the need for us to work together. The college and the community need each other. It is this unity of purpose that we all need to grow.
“Before the meeting, I knew every one of them that was here and we related very well. On the issues raised, I am totally in support of the community. They also know that I am totally disposed to peace and progress of Umunze Town.”
He pledged to continue to promote mutual understanding and goodwill between the college and the host community, stressing that the initiative would be a proactive means of stopping crisis in the town.
Prof. Ogbuagu further announced that the success story of the college had been commendable, stressing that its permanent site was almost ready with several structures under construction.
The provost recalled with excitement that the college had been upgraded to a degree-awarding institution, adding that the feat is a credit to Umunze community and the institution.
“At the moment, there is peace in the school. This is also through the instrumentality of the community vigilante group. The issue of cultism is a thing of the past in the college and even when they are expelled the community will also make sure that the affected students do not remain in Umunze Town to cause trouble. So there is that synergy between the school and the community,” he enthused.
The don, who recently secured his second term as provost of the school, told TheNiche that he would not relent in creating better relationship with the host community, adding that his second tenure further strengthens his resolve.
“Igwe Promise Eze is not only a traditional ruler but the father of Umunze, and we all are under him. Every week, I must always go to the palace to see him and it has been very rewarding,” he said.
Many hope that the prevailing atmosphere of peace in Umunze will signal a new dawn in the relationship between the college and the community.
