Tina Amanda
The people of Rundele Community in Emohua Local Government Area have called on Rivers State Government to develop Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Ndele campus or return their land.
They made the call during a protest against the movement of several departments and faculties to other campuses in the state.
Speaking to correspondent Tina Amanda, Spokesperson for the protesters, Unity Hekerem, lamented that leaving Ndele Ignatius Ajuru campus lying fallow would not encourage the development of the community.
“The University Management has failed to do the needful. Instead of bringing more Departments to Ndele campus, they are lifting and moving out the ones in Ndele to other campuses. It is very bad and unfair to the people of Ndele Community.
“We are calling on the state government to look into it, the school authority had told our kinsmen that the development of Ndele campus lies in the hands of the state government.
“The state the campus is right now is not improving the community economically, the students there are not up to a department, imagine a campus that about one hundred students are in, it is not encouraging, so they should either move it to where ever pleases them or develop the place”
He, however, said that another establishment seeks to use the land for other development.
“If they are not ready to develop Ndele campus then, they should allow us to use our property. As I speak, there are other establishments that want to make use of the place. There was no memorandum of understanding when the campus came in, we only gave out the property, because we wanted development to come into our community”
On his part, Spokesman of Rundele Development Front, Prince Andy-Agbovu, appealed to the state government to rehabilitate Ndele internal roads, as it is in a terrible condition.
“I want to appeal to Governor Nyesom Wike to come to the aid of Ndele people, the deplorable state of Rundele internal roads is critical. We have been abandoned, the bad roads have been left that way for many years and no significant project from the previous or present administrations have been executed here.
“People are dying by the day, no good health care system, no portable water, no good road. Is Rundele not part of Rivers State? None of Ndele sons or daughters have been appointed to hold political offices, the situation is appalling”
