STUDENTS of the South-Eastern state universities had a raw deal in the hands of policemen and other security operatives when they took their protest of the lingering strike of their lecturers to the Government House, Awka, on Wednesday.

The students of state-owned universities in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states had marched with their placards from Aroma Junction in the Anambra State capital to the entrance of the Government House, but ignored the entreaties by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Philemon Leha, that they should conduct themselves orderly and leave the road for other users.

The students, who had organised themselves under the aegis of Forum of Students’ Union Government Presidents (South-East State Universities), chose to remain on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, unmindful of the building traffic, while Mr Leha  made efforts to get them off the road into the Government House premises.

However, when information filtered in that Governor Peter Obi would not be able to address them in their disorganised state, the students decided to march into the Government House and demanded that the gate to the governor’s office be opened.

The security aides, at this point, responded with their batons, belts and sundry articles to beat them into a retreat, before they shot tear gas canisters at them.

Some of the students got injured in the ensuing confusion, while many of them were arrested but later released.

Leha said “the students wrote that they want police escort so that hoodlums will not infiltrate them. I approved it for them because this is democracy. When they get to the Government House, they said they will not go in and blocked the express road, thereby infringing on the freedom of others.

“When they became too unruly, the governor said he cannot talk to them in that state. So, I asked them to leave. They showed so much disrespect for me and my office.”

Speaking on the development, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Obi, Mr Mike Udah, said efforts were on to resolve the issues, so that the lecturers would call of the strike and the students would return to school.

Udah said the governors were not glossing over the dispute as being insinuated, alleging that “people are beginning to play politics with the issue just to find a way to give Governor Obi a bad name.”