The University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association has commended the 343 Attillery Regiment in Elele, Ikwerre Local government area for stemming the tide of criminal activities along the popular Elele, Omoku road, that has made the road unmotorable in recent times. The Rivers State Chairman of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association Sam Woka made the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Commanding Officer of the 343 Attillery Regiment Lt. Col. S.A Abimbola as part of activities to mark the 2020/2021 Executive Council Retreat of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association, Rivers State Chapter.
Sam Woka said the visit became necessary to understudy and appreciate the environment for further academic and social studies that the society can benefit from. He said despite the upsurge of insecurity in parts of the local government area in recent times, the Elele road and its environs have been a safe haven especially for travelers plying these roads. He encouraged the 343 Attillery Regiment in Elele, Ikwerre Local government area to keep up the surveillance on the roads to maintain the sanity the area is enjoying. In his response the Commanding Officer of the 343 Attillery Regiment Lt. Col. S.A Abimbola, said the security the area is enjoying now is as a result of its effective patrolling of the area.
He said “ before now, cultism was at its peak, kidnapping was taking another dimension, bunkery activities was a normal occurrence, armed robbery was flourishing in the area, but in sync with the Chief of Army Staff’s vision, which is to have a professionally responsive Army, we have to live up to it, and it has enhanced most of our operations and given us productive results”. The Commanding Officer of the 343 Attillery Regiment Lt. Col. S.A Abimbola said the effective surveillance of its men, have stemmed activities of notorious criminals terrorizing the area. “our proper intelligence day and night on this Elele road has stemmed notorious cultists and kidnappers like Ja rule, Osama, and Tega. Night life have restored in Elele and Owerri axis as a result of this, the roads are free now from criminals”, he said.
On his part, the Ezekwesiri one of Elele, and the Dikeohna the first of Ishimbam, Isaac Wonwu while playing host to Executives of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association at his palace in Elele, said the University Alumni has a role to play in improving governance and the educational system in the country. Eze Isaac Wonwu who is also a former gubernatorial candidate of the 2015 elections in the state said the democratic system in the country has witnessed indiscipline as a result of the poor university educational system in the country.
He said “our educational system needs to be revamped to ensure that we begin to have a reconsolidated product. Unfortunately the level if indiscipline we have witnessed in our democratic processes have been a product of the university Alumni”. Our correspondent Precious Ahiakwo reports that a lecture titled ‘’Growing the University through Alumni Participation’’ delivered by Professor Clifford Obiyo Ofurum, during the retreat said there is need to need for management and staff of the university to treat the students with utmost respect and dignity while they are in school, given that this is the easiest way to get them to give back to the school through the Alumni.
” To me, this is one major reason why most alumni of our “unique uniport” don’t want to be a part of any group which would provide a platform to give back to our universities. Most of them when you have an opportunity to interact with them will lament on how poorly they were treated by either one lecturer or clerk while in school”, he lamented. Professor Clifford Obiyo Ofurum who is also a professor at the department of Banking and finance at the University of Port Harcourt called on the staff of universities, to chat new cause of history; “by at least having a human face when dealing with our students. Without, any intention to insult anyone or even the system, I stand here, to say that the testimony of our past students concerning our attitude falls below acceptable standard and the time has come for us to make corrections”, he said.
