Alcohol-related turmoil at UoG
By ZACHERY PER
ALCOHOL was among items being sold illegally at the University of Goroka campus.
It is believed some students were selling beer, cigarettes, mobile phone pre-paid cards and buai to raise money to pay their university fees.
Vice-Chancellor Dr Gairo Onagi told The National last night that this had been going on since the previous administration, but no action was taken to stop this breach of university laws.
Dr Onagi said he only took office last Nov 5 and was moving to clean up the university.
The university began the crackdown over the weekend, leading students to protest over its tough stand.
Students at the University of Goroka (UOG) yesterday boycotted classes to protest this tough stand.
The students petitioned Dr Onagi and Pro vice-chancellors Dr James Yoko and Dr Michael Mel to provide answers for their petition in a gathering at the university look-out yesterday.
The university decided to get tough after a fight erupted at the boy’s dormitory between the university security guards and students last Saturday night.
Sources said the security guards intervened to stop loud noises at the boys’ residents last Saturday and a fight broke out between the guards and students, which resulted in a student and a guard hospitalised with serious injuries.
The university reacted by banning the sale of items such as buai, cigarettes, beer, mobile phone cards, and other items on campus.
Students normally sell these items to raise money to pay tuition, board and lodging fees and to meet other costs.
The students were also banned from using any electrical appliances, and cannot visit residential areas of opposite sexes.
Student representative council (SRC) president Jurere Marco and his executives presented their petition calling for the relaxing of these tough measures.
Mr Marco said they also used the opportunity to petition the administration over their concerns about academic qualifications of tutors and lecturers and uses of facilities such as the library and computers.
One student said most of them came from struggling families, and by selling small items they were able to help themselves.
A female student called on the administration to immediately lift the sales ban saying if it cannot be lifted, the university should give them fortnightly pocket allowances.
“I paid K2,200 to attend the university. I have the right to use the electricity. We are not in secondary schools where strict rules and regulations are applied. We are grown ups attending university; we know how to look after ourselves,” she said.
But Dr Onagi said the rules they were applying have always been there in the University Act.
“I will not relax the rules. These are rules that are there for us to follow.”
Dr Mel said vandalism and damage to dormitories and properties caused by students under the influence of alcohol over the years have caused maintenance costs to go up, beyond what was budgeted for.
“Alcohol abuse and littering of rubbish including cigarette butts and used condoms in the dormitories were common,” he said.
Dr Mel said that in the 15 years he had been chairing the student disciplinary committee, many female students cried to his office about being pregnant.
The students also alleged that some of the tutors and lecturers are unqualified saying a good number of the tutors are some of their fellow students and staff of Goroka secondary schools.
They also raised the concern about lack of adequate facilities in computer labs and library books to meet the growing demands of the students.
But Dr Mel said there had been no increase in the university’s budget to accommodate the growing demand.
Mr Onagi said universities around the world used their higher degree students to be tutors adding that UOG was no exception.
He recommended to the students to channel their grievances through their respective deans to get favourable feed backs, instead of attacking the administration in the manner they did.
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