Violence on UoG campus
By ZACHERY PER
ANGRY students at the University of Goroka (UoG) yesterday smashed an administration vehicle and burnt a private vehicle.
The private vehicle allegedly knocked down a second year male student who was returning to the dormitory after breakfast at the university mess.
The student was taken to the Goroka Base Hospital for treatment and was released later.
The frustration over Vice-Chancellor Gairo Onagi’s decision to get tough with discipline on campus earlier this week had not calmed down and the knocking down of the student triggered a violent reaction.
The vehicle smashed was a Mitsubishi station wagon, the official vehicle of Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) Dr Michael Mel.
The driver and other occupants of the private vehicle were bashed by the students, with one admitted to hospital with internal bleeding.
The students then turned on the security guards, who they accused of letting the private vehicle into the campus without proper check.
They also set fire to the security guard house at the main entrance to the university.
Three security guards were reported to have been seriously injured in the attack.
The students ransacked the security office and confiscated items such as liquor, cigarettes and other items.
Classes at the UoG were suspended as a result of the incident, while tension was still high yesterday evening.
Local Okiufa villagers took over security operations at the university in an interim arrangement, since the security personnel employed by the university had fled the campus for their safety.
Tests scheduled for the different courses yesterday were cancelled due to the tense situation.
The students demanded the UoG administration to replace the university security with a professional private security firm. They also demanded the immediate resignation of Dr Onagi, alleging lack of proper and coherent management of the university.
Students living off campus now fear for their safety from retaliation by relatives of security guards and those who were attacked and their vehicles burnt.
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