Main Entrance of Kogi Polytechnic, Lokoja.
The Management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja has explained why it banned all forms of end-of-examination celebration on the campus.
According to the rector of the institution, Salisu Usman, this is to “prevent an imminent violent attack on students as a result of the celebration.”
“As a Management, we have no reason whatsoever to go against such celebration if conducted with civility and decorum. In times past, including mine as a student, examination celebration was all about a handshake, hugging, and other merriments devoid of social upheavals.
“But events in recent years have proved that this is no longer the case. Instead, what we now have in most cases is the despicable use of both dirty and clean water mixed with soap, kerosene, and other dangerous chemicals to immerse colleagues who have just graduated,” he said further.
According to the Rector, during such celebrations, students drive recklessly on campus, causing an avoidable accident.
He cited the case of a female student who almost lost her legs at Kogi State University Anyigba in 2017 as a result of such careless driving.
The Rector also said in the process of such “celebration” some students openly show their respective cult groups through what they term “flying of colour.”
“We have strong information that it is this period that members of cult groups are invited from other institutions and places for the handing over of batons of leadership.
“Worst still, the celebrations have taken a more dangerous dimension that students now mark the end of examination with gunshots on campus in the company of their respective cult groups,” he added.
The Rector further stated that in Kogi State Polytechnic, there were reported cases of sporadic gunshots at the end of examination in 2019, stressing that the highpoint of the gunshot was a particular case of cultists that came with guns looking for a lecturer on the campus, noting that the 2019 celebration eventually ended tragically as it claimed the life of a student at the back of the main campus’s Matriculation Ground in Lokoja.
“This time, we have credible information that arrangements have been concluded by suspected cult groups to avenge the 2019 killing by using end-of-examination celebration as a launchpad.
“We have also been informed that some external mercenaries and old students who are suspected leaders of rival cult groups have been invited and have been around for the past five days rehearsing the execution of their plan.
“As a Management, we have every responsibility to be proactive and this informed our decision to ban any form of end-of-examination celebration on the campus,” Usman explained.
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