Friday, March 29, 2024

Insurgency: Who will rescue UNIMAID?

In the first week of October, 2017, the University of Maiduguri opened for the 2017/2018 academic session, but in a state of fear and uncertainly.

Reason: the 25 kilometre perimeter fence around the university to ward off continued suicide bombing by the Boko Haram terrorists, along with other unfulfilled promises by the authorities regarding other security issues, have now resulted in apprehension, once the institution is now back from the holiday.

Now, the university, with a population of about 40,000 of students and the staff, re-opened but in a state of suspense, with no one at ease. Lectures have begun amidst tension, in an atmosphere of uncertainty, insecurity and palpable fear, rightly or wrongly, of possible attacks by suicide bombers or gunmen. In this case, the sad memories of what happened months back have re-echoed.

The UNIMAID management is currently handling the situation with some interim measures but the capacity to bring the situation under affective control is not there. This is because the institution lacks the financial muscle. For example, the institution needs N2.6 billion to build its perimeter fence, covering an area of about 25 kilometres, to make the university community safe

Between the months of May and June, this year, the terrorists or the insurgents made a harvest of suicide bombing at UNIMAID, detonating about 10 bombs within the areas of the citadel, killing people and destroying property. Among the people killed were a university professor, security agents and others.

It was in this situation of mess and uncertainty that the institution closed in June for the 2016 / 2017 academic session, with a pledge from the authorities that when it resumed in 2017 / 2018 academic year, all would be well security-wise, and that the perimeter fence long awaited to take care of the porous borders of the university would be taken care of.

The visit of the Minister for Education, Mallam Adamu, accompanied by some members of the Nigerian Universities Commission, to the university, following an earlier one by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education to assess the security situation, gave hope that all would be well soon. This assurance became reassured by the minister’s committal statement to the management of UNIMAID that the security of the institution was priority to the Federal Government and his Ministry in particular.

However, months after the Minister’s visit and pledge, everything remains unchanged, translating into mere talks, if not sheer paper verbiage. This disappointing situation provoked, pricked and prodded the questions: Who wants the University of Maiduguri dead? What has become of the Minister’s pledge? How long will staff and students of this premier university in the North East continue to leave in perpetual state of fear, suspense and uncertainty? Can the Education Minister be trusted? Will students not relocate elsewhere again? Will this negligence not provoke further attacks from the insurgents?

Efforts personally made to get the minister’s attention on this crucial issue failed. Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of UNIMAID, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, was not available for comment as yours sincerely was made aware that he was out of the country. However, the spokesman of the university, Mallam Mohammed Ahmed, who is the Deputy Director, Information, was emphatic, saying, “Nothing has happened so far. We are still waiting. You have seen things yourself.”

The UNIMAID management is currently handling the situation with some interim measures but the capacity to bring the situation under affective control is not there. This is because the institution lacks the financial muscle. For example, the institution needs N2.6 billion to build its perimeter fence, covering an area of about 25 kilometres, to make the university community safe.

However, the Borno State Government, under Governor Kashim Shettima, is contributing its widow’s mite to ameliorating the security situation of the institution. So far, the state government has given the university the sum of N 50 million to assist it in digging trenches as an interim measure and additional sum as well to assist in the building of some critical walls at some borders of the university. Besides, the institution’s mosque destroyed by suicide bombers has been rebuilt by the state
government.

It is on record too that some members of the university community, especially lecturers and students, have relocated to other places as a result of pervading insecurity in the institution, worsened by the absence of definite and concrete steps to address the same. Of recent, the combined unions in the university in one voice, called on the Federal Government to take the issue of security in the institution in its first line of priority, in the light of the significance of UNIMAID to the North East in particular, and the nation and some neighbouring countries in general.

UNIMAID, established in 1975, is the premier tertiary institution in the North East zone. It is located in Jere Local Government Council of the state and has borders with Mafa and Konduga Local Government councils, all in Borno. It is situated along Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama Road, leading to the main entrance of the Sambisa Forest at Kawuri village, where the insurgents had their sanctuary for almost seven years.

At this juncture, it has become imperative to remind the authorities, especially the Federal Government, that “a stitch in time saves nine.” On this, an observer to the current happenings in the UNIMAID has written, “Let it be made abundantly clear that, if, owing to negligence, default, an error of omission or commission, the sect is allowed to invade or take over an inch of UNIMAID territory, this is not only the height of impunity but a dangerous aspersion on the legitimacy of the Federal Government of Nigeria to protect its citizens. Such a feat of the sect will erode completely, the people’s honour and respect for the present administration with regard to the prosecution of war against
insurgency.”

Recall that in the heat of the Boko Haram war against western civilisation and formal education, some educational institutions in the North East became casualties. For example, the insurgents attacked Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, where they slaughtered 29 students on February 24, 2014; Yobe Government  College of Agriculture, Gujba in October, 2014, where 50 students were  murdered; and Government Secondary School, Mamudo, where 24 pupils and an Arabic teacher were guillotined.

Terrible as these incidents and other atrocities of the sect were, the one case that brought the Boko Haram tragedy to global attention was the abduction of the over 200 Chibok school girls writing the 2014 West Africa Senior Secondary School Examinations in Borno State.

Isn’t it time to save UNIMAID and its people from going under?

*Izekor, a journalist, public affairs analyst, is a member of the Board of Advisers of The Point.

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