Crisis: NASS summons FCA, ARCN to hearing

House Committee Chairman on Colleges of Agriculture, Hon. Linus Okorie

·        FCA Alumni calls for peace

The House Committee on Colleges of Agriculture, National Assembly has invited all the parties involved in the crisis rocking the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Moorplantation, Ibadan and Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) to a hearing schedule for today Monday 20^th November, 2017.

Meanwhile, the old students Association of the college has called on Federal Government to do the needful that would ensure peace back to college.

This Monday meeting according to the House Committee Chairman on Colleges of Agriculture, Hon. Linus Okorie was in response to the directive by the National Assembly leadership that a hearing for all the parties in the crisis of the two organizations be called and finding be immediately reported back to the house.

Hon. Linus Okorie told us when asked the way forwards that all parties in FCA have been invited to a hearing with his committee at Abuja on Monday today with ARCN management and  staff adding this was in pursuant to a resolution taken early this month by the leadership of the house of representative of the National Assembly.

The crisis that started about six weeks ago at the FCA reached its climax last Monday as many people who were wounded are still in the hospital receiving treatment with properties worth million of naira lost to the fracas between the policemen and students of the college.

Also at ARCN, a long time disagreement between the management and the staff of the council over retirement issues on age sixty (60) and thirty five (35) years of service had degenerated to total disruption of activities and down of tools in the council sometimes last month at Abuja.

Already, the House Committee on Colleges of Agriculture has sent out letter of invitations to all the parties involved in the crisis and it is expected that fare hearing would be given to all parties in order to get a comprehensive report for the entire house in the National Assembly.

In the same vein, the Alumni Association of the FCA after its emergency meeting held on the 16^th of November, 2017 has called on the Federal Government to ensure restoration of peace to the college thereby condemning the breakdown of law and orders occasioned by the policemen disruption of students’ peaceful demonstration against lingering non classes activities in the Institute last week Monday. 

In a press release made available to us, the National Executive of the Association condemned the lawlessness that recently occurred in the college leading to the destruction of properties and halting of human beings saying the Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh must immediately respond to restoring peace back to the Institute being the oldest with establishment record of 1921. 

The statement which was signed by Comrade Emmanuel Bankole and Mr. Taiwo Oduola, the National President and Secretary respectively stated that “ the alumni has been observing with keen interest the imbroglio between the management of the college , the staff union and students which has been lingering for the past few months. On Monday 12^th November, 2017, the crisis erupted which led to a clash between Federal College of Agriculture students and the police during a protest against the students inability to receive lectures for the past few months. It resulted into casualties among Research staff and students on the campus”

“The alumni therefore wishes to state unequivocally that the situation in the moor plantation campus is becoming unbearable and hereby call on all stakeholders especially the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh to step in and take urgent actions. The college is a trail blazer in training of agricultural students in Nigeria and had been a peaceful institution right from its inception until recent times” stated the press release.