The affected students were moved to other departments after passing all examinations and paying their acceptance fees.
A human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun Esq, has called on the management of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State to reverse and restore admissions offered to four indigent students to study law.
The affected students were moved to other departments after passing all examinations and paying their acceptance fees.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the management of the university reportedly sold the admissions offered to the affected students who could not pay their school fees within two days to some children of influential and highly connected parents who did not meet the cutoff mark.
EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian University, Ambrose Alli Sells Law, Medical Lab Admissions To Highest Bidders After Collecting Over N71,000 Acceptance Fees From Qualified Students | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/PHnXCdN8yQ pic.twitter.com/ZhaU1rfrVy
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) August 31, 2023
However, the rights lawyer in a letter to the school’s vice-chancellor, through the registrar, dated August 29, 2023, described the action of the university as discrimination.
According to Temokun, it offends Section 18(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Temokun stated that as a public institution, the unjust unilateral withdrawal of admissions after passing all qualifying examinations, the offer of admission by the University, acceptance of admission by the applicants/students, and payment of acceptance fees, are not only "scandalous, discriminatory, unfair, irregular and improper”, they also violate “all sense of justice and fairness in the admission process of a public institution”.
The lawyer noted that the action also breaches the students' rights to be heard on any infraction that may have necessitated this action and their rights to education of their choice as guaranteed and protected under Article 17(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap 9 LFN 2004.
The acknowledgment letter obtained by SaharaReporters, which was received on August 30, 2023 by the vice-chancellor’s office, was titled: "Unilateral Withdrawal Of Admission From The Law Faculty And Forced Change Of Course To Other Departments After Payment Of Acceptance Fees".
According to the letter attached with original admission offers, payment of acceptance fees, and printout showing the changing of the admission offers, the human rights lawyer, listed the names of some of the affected students as - "Erhunse Lordbe Uyi, Lawrence Sarah Fumilayo, Imhangbe Prosper, and Omekamu Purity Jennifer, (hereinafter referred to as our “Clients”) and on whose behalf we write this letter."
The letter partly reads: "Our Clients duly briefed us and verily we believe them as follows: That they applied for admission to study law in your university; sat for the qualifying examinations and passed and were duly offered admission to study law for the 2022/2023 academic session.
"That they communicated their acceptance of the offer of admission to the university by paying the mandatory acceptance fee to your institution as required; and after paying the acceptance fee and before the payment of the tuition fee of the sum of N380,000.00, their admission to the law faculty which had been accepted by them through payment of acceptance fees of the sum of N71,000.00, was unilaterally withdrawn and their course of choice, Law, was changed to History and International Studies.
"When they logged in to the university portal for further steps in their admission process, they discovered that their courses of study had been changed by the University; and there was no provision in the offer of admission letters issued to them where it was stated that their course of study would be changed to History and International Studies, after payment of the acceptance fee.
"That even as we speak, the admission process is still ongoing and payment of school fees is still ongoing, so there is no justification whatsoever to unilaterally revoke the admission offered them which they have accepted by paying the appropriate acceptance fees."
Temokun stated that the students were traumatised by the disappointment and had not recovered from the shock and mental torture as a result.
While appealing to the school’s vice-chancellor as the Chief Academic Officer of the University to use his good office to ensure that “this unjust unilateral withdrawal of admissions after passing all qualifying examinations was reversed”.
According to him, it violates the students’ rights to education.
"There is a genuine apprehension that the names of these less connected students were yanked off the faculty of law admission list after paying their acceptance fees in order to create space for more connected and influential people in the society in violation of Section 18(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which provides that the government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal educational opportunities for the citizens at all levels.
"May we also add that the decision of the University to unilaterally withdraw an offer of admission that has been accepted and change Our Clients’ courses of study to other courses against what they were offered and accepted and for which they paid acceptance fees is an improper use of administrative powers which must never be allowed in our public institutions.
"These budding Nigerians who are in your care by virtue of their studentships are to be trained not just in learning but in character of national outlook that will prepare them for future roles in the country and they should not be made to believe there is no justice, order and certainty in the system as this singular act could affect their psyche and damage their trust and confidence in the country.
“For now, till the proper thing is done, the action of the University has put the hopes and career progression of these young Nigerians into untimely hold. Find attached some of the letters of admission and payment of acceptance fee slips.
"We want you to look into this matter sir with dispatch, with a view to correct the anomaly so that the students could complete their registration process before the coming matriculation and start their study in earnest," the letter also reads.