PROTEST ROCKS FUPRE AS STUDENTS BLOCK EAST-WEST HIGHWAY OVER ALLEGED HIKE IN TUITION FEES ..... We've Not Concluded Fee Charges, VC Agbalagba Declares, Calls Protesters Faceless As SUG Dissociate Self

"Those things trending on social media are not from the University Management and our discussions, everybody knows where we ended. We have not resolved what and what to charge." Says VC 

...."No!!! We are not part of the protest." SUG President.

Some yet to be identified persons allegedly claiming to be students of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources,FUPRE in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday, blocked the East-West road including all access into the University campus protesting over an alleged hike in the tuition fees of the institute.

The suspected students who bore placards danced along the road chanting solidarity songs and disrupted vehicular movement on the busy highway leading to Bayelsa and Rivers states.

Our Correspondent in Warri, Delta State who spoke with the President of the Student Union Government, SUG Etinosa via in a telephone chat, said the Union is not part of the protest. "No!!! We are not part of the protest."

Etinosa said, "I have talked to the students and I asked them to calm down. I have pushed their complaints to the Management. But the Management and the students, they just put me at the middle. To be very honest, this thing is tiring."

FUPRE Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ezekiel Oghenenyerovwo Agbalagba in a telephone chat with Our Correspondent from Abuja confirmed the report. 

"The protesting students are faceless people and unknown to the Student Union Government." Prof. Agbalagba stated.

According to the FUPRE Vice Chancellor, "the school's management had not concluded negotiations with the Student Union Government, SUG as to the exact fee students are to pay in about five meetings they have had. 

"They are not student union leadership. SUG is not part of what they are doing." He said.

According to him, "We heard issues of review fee charges and we have been having meetings with the student union leaders. We have had five (5)meetings. We have not concluded. 

"As at the stage we got to the last time, they said one of them got hold of the document of the stage we were and posted it that this is the school school charges. I said that cannot be possible. 

"We suspended all discussions pending when exam finishes this week. Next week, we are meeting so that everybody will resume where we are and start negotiations. 

"This morning, I am in Abuja. I heard that they blocked the road. So, who are those people?

"The SUG made a disclaimer, the incoming that he is not part of what they are doing. So, they are even faceless people. I am even releasing a memo in the next five (5) minutes.

"Those things trending on social media are not from the University Management and our discussions, everybody knows where we ended. We have not resolved what and what to charge. Again, it is all about politics to discredit me. Some people may have pocketed some of them. They are not student union leadership. We don't really know who are leading the protest. SUG are not part of what they are doing. They are now saying, we hearsay. The truth is that, we followed a channel in our dialogue with the students."

While noting that the students will round up their examinations tomorrow, Prof. Agbalagba pointed out that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU will begin their strike by next week. "If we don't manage it properly till next week, we cannot guarantee. We are on it." He stressed.