Goroka cops monitor situation at UOG

GOROKA police are closely monitoring developments at the University of Goroka after angry students attempted to attack Vice-Chancellor Dr Gairo Onagi last Thursday.
Students, in their riotous behaviour, stoned Dr Onagi’s house at the campus and smashed the back windscreen of his vehicle.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Chief Supt Augustine Wampe confirmed this yesterday.
He said after the court case last Thursday, some angry students went out of control and tried to attack Dr Onagi but a police unit assigned to monitor the situation at the campus arrived in time to disperse them.
Chief Supt Wampe met with student leaders and urged them not to take the law into their own hands and follow the proper processes to have their grievances addressed.
He warned them that police would take action against them “if they take the law into their own hands” and damage State property.
Chief Supt Wampe said he assigned a special police unit to monitor developments and movements of students at the campus since last Thursday.
It was also reported that students did not want Dr Onagi and two pro-vice chancellors Dr James Yoko and Associate Prof Michael Mel to be in office.
They called for an interim administrator to run the university while the full council of the university is established.
The students have levelled accusations against the interim council which they want removed.
The university administration obtained a court order directing the students to stop the boycott and return to classes.
The students have refused and have engaged a lawyer to challenge the order.
They went to court last Thursday but the case was adjourned to March 5 by Justice Joseph Yagi.
The boycott continued to third week this week.
It is likely to have drastic impact on the university’s academic calendars for the different faculties.