Pandemonium struck at the Metallurgical Training Institute, NMTI, Onitsha, Anambra State, Thursday following gunshots allegedly fired by some policemen to disperse the rampaging students who rampage in protest against poor hostel accommodation, rejection of the school’s diploma certificate by other Federal Government institutions, among other agitations.
9ja School Gist gathered that Four students , sustained various degrees of injuries.
Their injuries, according to eye-witness, followed a stampede arising from the gunshots allegedly fired by some policemen to disperse the rampaging students who had already barricaded the ever busy Onitsha/Owerri dual carriageway in front of the NMTI main campus.
The students made bonfires in the middle of the road, obstructing vehicular movements on the federal highway.
Before the arrival of a police team from nearby Divisions like Okpoko, Awada and Obosi, the students had succeeded in causing total blockade of the road, chanting solidarity songs as they made the bonfire.
According to the source, trouble started in the school on Wednesday morning when some graduates of the school who had gone to Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, to further their studies were refused admission.
They were also allegedly chased out by some security agents attached to the school over the excuse that NMTI diploma certificate was not duly recognized by PTI, also a Federal Government-owned institution.
The source said the aggrieved students allegedly communicated their situation to some of their colleagues still studying at NMTI, telling them that they were wasting their time as the Diploma Certificate from NMTI, which is under the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power, was not recognized outside the school on graduation.
The situation was said to have angered the students who now organized themselves and delegated the Students’ Union Executive and some of the best minds to approach the Director of the school, Mr. I. I. Okonkwo, to know his reaction.
On reaching the Director’s office on Wednesday, the students delegation were allegedly turned back by the school boss and the students immediately went on rampage.
It was gathered that feeling extremely humiliated by the director’s uncompromising behaviour, the students accused him of not showing enough sympathy towards their plights and as early as 8a.m. yesterday, they mobilized themselves and vandalized some of the school property, including electronic gadgets and computer sets.
On realizing the magnitude of the protest, the director allegedly ran into his office with some members of senior staff of the school in a bid to escape the students’ wrath.
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