The Management of Federal University Lokoja is greatly shocked by the loss of her students, Miss Mary Matthias who died after a brief illness at Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja and Miss Maryjane Imaobong whose death occurred via a ghastly motor accident around Oworo Estate of the Felele area of Lokoja on Thursday, October 28, 2021.
While acknowledging these great losses and the pain the parents, friends and colleagues of these students may be going through, the University wishes to inform the public that the unfortunate death of Maryjane occurred after school hours when all the students had retired to their respective homes. The accident occurred far away from the university environment, and the student was alleged to have left her house after sharing on her status that she was bored at home and needed to relax outside her residence.
The University also wishes to inform the public about measures put in place by the management to address some of the concerns it had identified even before the students observed them.
On Security:
The lives of students and staff are of top priority to this administration. The Vice-Chancellor had directed that all lectures and engagements with students at all levels must terminate at 16:00 hours, and students must vacate the Felele Campus at 17:00 hours latest.
Transportation:
That two buses have been provided by the University to convey students to and from Felele in the interim, while other plans are almost concluded to engage services of other interested transporters in conveying students at a fee highly discounted. Two of these buses are currently operational, totalling four, fully engaged to ease the movement of students.
The Vice-Chancellor on behalf of management prays for the repose of the souls of the fallen future leaders and ambassadors of this great institution. And wishes to state unequivocally that measures are in place to further strengthen the plans already in place to provide a more conducive learning environment.
He is using this opportunity to appeal to her students to shun any violent approach that may further create tension at the expense of the peace FUL is known for.
Please note:
***That the accident that took the life of one of FUL’s students did not happen within the campus area and certainly not during official hours as students had closed and vacated the school premises more than two hours earlier.
The entire University Management, Staff and students are saddened by this irreplaceable loss.
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That Measures are already in place to address over-speeding within the campus area, closure of the one-way track by motorists and trucks to check road misuse.
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That the Headquarters of Police Command is already perfecting arrangements to deploy its officials to occupy the police post built and commissioned while some of their officers and men in mufti will parade the main campus to provide intelligence.
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Let it be clear that, while the management is doing its best to ensure a very conducive atmosphere for learning with meagre resources at its disposal, the expansion of the University is almost long overdue.
Opening up the Felele Campus was in the best interest of our students. Accreditation of programmes and the needed expansion that will allow Colleges of Medicine and Engineering to operate were some of the many reasons that underpinned this critical decision as taken by the Council, Senate and Management.
Please, be rest assured that the Students friendly Vice-Chancellor is on top of the situation and that in the shortest possible time, all other observations raised by the students shall be fully addressed.