Reps Decry Deplorable FUTO, Alvan Ikoku Roads, Highlight Security Risks from Lack of Perimeter Fence

The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has raised a serious alarm over the alarming state of infrastructure, particularly the access roads, at two major federal universities in Imo State: the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), and Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education (AIFUÉ).

Following an oversight visit to the institutions on Saturday, the Committee Chairman, Abubakar Fulata, issued a statement in Abuja today, Sunday, November 9, 2025, describing the decay as a major threat to academic and security environments.

Fulata specifically lamented that the Obinze–FUTO Road, the primary artery linking FUTO to surrounding communities, has become virtually impassable. “The condition of the Obinze–FUTO Road is so deplorable that vehicles, tricycles, and even pedestrians struggle to navigate it during the rainy season,” he said, emphasizing the immense hardship faced by students and staff.

Security and Financial Strain

Beyond the road network, the Committee also decried the absence of a perimeter fence around FUTO, which Fulata classified as a major security risk that has led to rampant trespassing and encroachment on university lands.

At Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stella Lemchi, highlighted the financial strain resulting from infrastructure neglect and government policies. While urging the government to rehabilitate internal roads, especially within the developing Nworie campus, she also pleaded for the Federal Government to reintegrate the payment of security personnel into the national budget.

Lemchi explained that requiring institutions to pay outsourced security personnel from limited Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is unsustainable and hinders overall welfare and operational efficiency.

The Committee Chairman assured the university managements that their concerns, which include poor access roads, inadequate drainage, and security lapses due to infrastructure decay, would be escalated to the Federal Ministries of Works and Education as well as the Imo State Government for prompt and decisive intervention.