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University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday decried the incessant abduction of lecturers and students of the institution by herdsmen.
ASUU Chairman of the university, Professor Monday Omoregie and Secretary, Dr. Fabian Amaechina, expressed concern over the recent abduction and release of some students and staff of the university, who were out on a geological fieldwork to Akoko Edo Council Area of the state.
They described the development as undesirable and that it has the tendency of crippling research, which is at the heart of development.
Omoregie said the spate of kidnapping of members of the university community in the country has assumed a worrisome dimension and charged security agencies to wake up to their responsibility of securing the country, stressing that development would be impossible without security.
“This type of undesirable development has the tendency of crippling research, which is at the heart of development. It is a virus that needs to be exterminated because of the negative multiplier effect it can have on education and the development of the nation.
“If researches and fieldworks cannot go on because of insecurity, then the educational sector and the whole concept of national development will be living on borrowed time.
“Apart from having the negative potential of lowering the quality of manpower produced by our universities, it has the capacity of crippling the entire educational system, which is already traumatised,” Omoregie said.
He described the laxity with which the security apparatus treat matters of national security as alarming, noting that it took the courage and patriotism of the people of Ikpeshi Community in the rescue of the abducted lecturers and students.
“We place on record the heroic role played by the Ikpeshi Community, who rose to the challenge by responding in a way that resulted in the rescue of the abducted students and their lecturers. We salute the community’s courage and patriotism and recommend their action to other beleaguered communities,” Omoregie added.
