Students of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, have cried out over lack of power supply to the institution for years despite pledge by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure power supply when he came visiting about a month ago.
The students while lamenting attacks on daily basis by unknown gunmen, disclosed that lack of power supply to the University worsened the entire situation prompting the students to search for safety abode whenever it is night.
Fielding questions from newsmen, one of the students who simply identified himself as Joseph, stated that, “Whenever there is nightfall our happiness turns to sadness because there is no electricity supply to the University. Fear of unknown normally grips us.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo visited us about a month ago and pledged to give us light but since then till now nothing has happened. I believe if he wants to give us light it is just a little amount for the state to spend and it won’t take up to a month to fix the project.
“This is a state University that ought to have been well equipped more than Federal University because the money is there. Two major things we suffer in the school are attacks by unknown gunmen and lack of power supply.
“Those that do computer science and others who must apply electricity in their course of study how would they cope? Any good living is light,” he concluded.
A female student who pleaded anonymity told newsmen that she has her lantern but that the cost of procuring the kerosene is what consumes her money.
“I have my lantern because there is no hope of supplying power to our school. If it is possible let the students contribute and procure solar light since the state government turns to the other side when it comes to power supply for our school.
“Only God knows what we go through in the night, sometimes unknown gunmen will take over a particular place because there is no light. If it is possible let the governor supply solar energy because from the look of things our instituton is not in his agenda,” she posited.
Reacting, an activist who is the National chairman of HDRA, comrade Jude Achebe, expressed dismay that a state University has no power supply at this jet age lamenting that those who apply electricity in their course of study will be useless after their educational career in the University.
“How will a student cope after graduation when he is a computer science student. He will wait until the state government supplies power to the University and then the student will commence applying power to what he was taught without power.
“I was told the governor came visiting about a month ego and pledged to provide power to the institution but since then, nothing has happened. When there is darkness all manners of illegalities thrive but when there is light, it over shadows darkness, so let there be light for these children who come from families that make use of light.
“Governor Soludo should fulfill his pledge to these students by providing power to assist the students because some of them have not experienced darkness prior to coming to the institution,” he explained.
