Corps members 

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—STUDENTS of  Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu, ASCETA, have cried out to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, over failure of the institution to release their certificates and mobilise them for the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme.

The students, numbering over 135 who lamented that they have spent over three years since graduation from a 4-year degree programme, accused the two former Provosts of the college, Dr. Nwaolisa Nwamuo and Prof. Theresa Kanno, of failing to resolve issues hindering their mobilization for NYSC.

Vanguard gathered that ASCETA is affiliated to Abia State University, Uturu, ABSU, which enables students of the college to pursue degree courses at the university and be mobilized for the NYSC programme.

In separate interviews with Vanguard, President of the Students Union government of the college; Comrade Okereke Samuel Okoro and President, Degree Unit Students Association, Comrade Igboko Promise, stated that the inability of the college to remit backlog of fees owed ABSU by the previous administrations in the institution has made it impossible for them to be mobilised for NYSC or collect their certificates.

“For the past three years and counting, students have not been able to go for NYSC nor collect their certificates after paying the necessary fees. This is as a result of mismanagement of available resources by past administrations of the college. At the moment, the management of ASCETA and ABSU are in disagreement over the huge backlog of about N75 million which the two previous administration did not remit to ABSU.

“We cannot pay the specified fees, conclude a 4-year course and go home without collecting our certificates and go for NYSC. We do not want to take the law into our hands. This is why we are appealing to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and other well-meaning individuals to come to our aid and save the future of the students affected by this ugly situation for no fault of theirs.”