The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) yesterday raised alarm of deliberate plans to cripple the economy of the area.
SOKAPU, in a statement by it national spokesman, Mr Yakubu Kuzamani said the continues closure of higher institutions in Southern Kaduna by the State government is a deliberate act to cripple the area.
The group recalled that the Kafanchan Campus of the Kaduna State University (KASU) was closed on the 19th of December, 2016 and since then it has remained closed and the students of that campus left to idle away unnecessarily.
“While the students in Kafanchan Campus are made redundant, their colleagues in the Kaduna Campus of the same institution have been hitherto attending their classes and by implication attaining a comparative advantage,” SOKAPU observed.
The statement said, “SOKAPU has consistently called for the reopening of the Kafanchan campus but Governor Nasir El-rufai has deliberately refused to heed to our call or those of other well-meaning Nigerians.”
“The shallow and worn-out excuse being used is still ‘insecurity’ even though abuse of executive powers now weighs in stronger, and it’s glaring that keeping the campus closed confers a fake aura of persistent insecurity in Southern Kaduna and justifies Gov El-rufai’s pastime of labelling the Southern Kaduna victims as the aggressors.
“In pursuit of that, not minding the collateral damage, which in this case is clearly intended, the Governor has ensured that young and impressionable Nigerian students studying in the Kafanchan campus of KASU waste away.
“Why should the Kafanchan Campus of KASU be still under lock and key under the excuse of insecurity when other Schools in Kafanchan are all opened? the College of Nursing is open, the Kafanchan campus of the College of Education Gidan Waya is in session, all primary and secondary schools are open and in session. Even the Kafanchan zonal office of the Ministry of Education is open and running normal hours. All markets in Kafanchan, including local markets in the suburb, now function regularly.
“Then what exactly is the real reason behind the continued closure of the campus? We ask this with all seriousness because even the College of Education Gidan Waya that is still closed was deliberately not secured at the peak of all the killings at that axis which led to students exiting the school.
“On the other hand, if there is no deliberate agenda to cripple Southern Kaduna on all fronts, then the Kafanchan campus of KASU should be opened without delay and the students given the opportunity to go back to their classes. This is our minimum demand,” the statement read.
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