FUOTUOKE Students Protest As Landlord Locks Them Out Students at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa

Students at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa
State have protested over the decision by a private
hostel owner to evict more than a hundred students
at the institution in a dispute over unpaid rent of N24
million.
The 52-bedroom hostel, known as the Oniegbum
Hostel, is located a few minutes from Mr. Jonathan's
country home. In 2014, Bayelsa State procured the
hostel as a residential facility for students, and
handed the hostel to the university at a ceremony
presided over by the Secretary to the State
Government, Dakoru Allison-Oguru.
The eviction warned that the landlord would
repossess the hostel if the students did not adhere to
the eviction notice.
The eviction notice was copied to the vice chancellor,
the chief legal adviser to the university, and the
Secretary of the state government. The affected
recipients received the letter March 10, 2015.
The eviction letter to the students was issued by a
lawyer to the landlord and signed by R.E. Ndiomu.
The letter stated, "We the landlords of the 52-
bedroom apartments at Onuegbum, Otuoke Road,
Otuoke, give you notice to quit and deliver
possession of the aforementioned property with its
appurtenances which you hold as a tenant on or
before the expiration of seven days upon the receipt
of this notice, for failure of the Bayelsa state
government through the office of the Secretary to the
state government, Bayelsa state to pay the balance of
N24 million as rent accruable."
The affected students were assigned to the hostel as
part of the Bayelsa State government's contribution
to assist the newly established university located in
Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck
Jonathan. But the landlord alleged that both the
university and the state government owed him two
years' arrears of rent, hence his decision to evict the
students.
Some of the evicted students told SaharaReporters
that the dean of student affairs, Marcellina Offoha,
supervised their eviction. Offoha was seen
supervising the removal of students' belongings from
the hostel.
Commenting on the development, Offoha said the
students were supposed to move back into the hostel
this week, but confirmed that the facility was now
locked up. The dean expressed confidence that the
state government, the university and the landlord
would settle the dispute "in the shortest time
possible."
"We have come and we have to beg him," said the
dean in reference to the landlord, adding that
discussions with the school and the state government
are continuing.
"We have been patiently waiting for the balance [of
the] sum since last year but have been frustrated by
the lack of commitment which the Bayelsa state
government has shown despite several attempts to
get the state government to adhere to its promise as
we have kept our part of the bargain hence the
notice."
The landlord, Emmanuel Toiyebo, said he had made
several attempts to resolve the dispute over rent with
the Bayelsa State government. He added that all the
meetings he held with university as well as state
government officials had failed to resolve the issue of
the outstanding rent.
Culled From: SaharaReporter

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