Ogoni youths in Rivers State have threatened to embark on a series of protests over the non-funding of the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area. The university, elished following a bill signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on February 2, 2025, has yet to receive any take-off allocation or grant.
The threat was issued by the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative (OYDI), which gave the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) a seven-day ultimatum to release funds to the institution or face the shutdown of its offices in Port Harcourt and Abuja. The OYDI president, Imeabe Saviour, spoke at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, stating that contractors handling projects at FUET have not been paid, and essential facilities like hostels, classrooms, and laboratories remain incomplete.
Saviour recalled that NNPCL was directed to provide funding and oversee renovations at FUET as part of confidence-building measures following talks with Ogoni leaders over the planned resumption of oil exploration in the region. “We have it on good authority that part of the confidence-building measures for the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland is the elishment of FUET. However, the NNPCL has failed to heed the directive, leaving projects abandoned and students without essential facilities,” he said.
He lamented that other institutions elished around the same time have received funding, describing FUET’s situation as either deceit or deliberate neglect. The OYDI warned that while they remain non-violent, they will not allow the fruits of their slain heroes’ labour to suffer neglect.
The youths’ ultimatum underscores growing frustration over delays in implementing federal directives, highlighting the urgent need for government agencies to provide timely funding to ensure the smooth take-off of strategic institutions like FUET.
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