Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, has listed some of the sins of the disbanded Students Union Government of the Institution.
He said their sins led to their disbandment.
The Ag. vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin, while listing some of their sins, said one of them was the prevention of the corpse of one of the Professors from entering the university’s campus for a commendation service in his honour.
“They also prevented the ambulance conveying the remains of a departed Professor from entering the main campus of the University and chasing mourners and sympathisers who were at the gate to attend the statutory commendation service in honour of the late Professor thereby preventing the commendation service in his honour from taking place; embarking on protests without first seeking and obtaining the approval of the relevant office as required.
“There are other documented infractions. Ambrose Alli University has regulations guiding the activities of students.
“Any breach of the matriculation oath has its prescribed sanctions and consequences.
“The Management could not have looked away and allowed these acts of lawlessness to continue.
“Dissolution of the Student Union as a result of their infraction, the first step taken by Management was the immediate dissolution of the Student Union and the subsequent setting up of a Caretaker Committee to continue the dialogue with Management on behalf of the law-abiding students.
“Those already fingered and identified as culprits in these acts of lawlessness will definitely be held accountable in due time.
“The Caretaker Committee is the child of necessity”, Adagbonyin said.
Speaking on the hike in the tuition fees, he said the Management and the Senate of the University have directed that there is no increment in the tuition fees of returning students.
Briefing newsmen in Benin City, on the latest development in the Edo State owned varsity after series of protest by her students over alleged tuition fees hike, Adagbonyin said, “This is contrary to the news making the rounds that AAU has increased tuition fees for returning students to about 100%.
He faulted reports in some quarters which alleged an increase in tuition fees by the institution’s Management, saying,” some reports even say 200% or 300%. We have taken time to produce for you the current chargeable fees in AAU as paid by both fresh students and returning students.
Speaking on the On-going Students’ Protests over the alleged school fees increment, the Ag. Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, said , “It is imperative for us to make public some facts as they relate to the ongoing protests in AAU.
“The erstwhile Student Union leaders currently leading protests against alleged hike in school fees, were part of the team that negotiated the ”add-on” fees they are now protesting against.
“When the then leadership threatened to shut the University gate because of some perceived issues, that of school fees was not even high up on the list of the issues. The only aspect of their agitation that is related to fees was the inclusion of returning (old) students in the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS).
“They claimed that they had reached an agreement with the Management of EDOHIS to exclude all returning students from 300L and above from the scheme.
“The students were informed that the agreement they spoke about would be implemented only if it was true and was officially communicated to the University Management. That communication has not reached us as we speak.
Adagbonyin added that management’s Position on EDOHIS Management’s position was predicated on the fact that the EDOHIS is a policy of the Edo State Government and is currently being implemented across all tertiary institutions in the state, noting that the decision to waive it or to determine its method of implementation for one institution could never be arbitrary.
Continuing, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor said, “Let it be put on record that of all the tertiary institutions in Edo State enrolled in the EDOHIS policy, AAU students pay the least. Whereas other institutions pay N20,000, AAU students pay N16,000, the outcome of concessions graciously granted to our University on special appeal by this same University Management.