According to the statement, the meeting considered and agreed that the tuition fees of returning students were never increased while also considering the add-ons as important dues to be paid.
Following a series of protests by concerned students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, which resulted in the closure of the university from September 6 to October 1, 2023, the university's administration has finally conceded to the demands of the students, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Some students of the school told SaharaReporters that the school management had decided to revert to the previous school fee structure.
However, it should be noted that the Ibrahim Abdufatai-led Student Union Government (SUG), which vehemently supported the students during the protests despite threats of rustication, has been indefinitely suspended.
This suspension was enacted through a drafted memo by the Acting Dean of Students, Prof. Emma Ufuah.
In place of the SUG, the university has introduced an interim caretaker government, which the students say they have refused to acknowledge as a representative of their collective interests, considering it as a move orchestrated by the university's administration.
According to the sources, the university management claimed it dissolved the SUG because, during the protests, the students prevented the entry of the remains of a professor into the school premises for a "commendation" ceremony as part of his burial rites.
“What is surprising is that this same deceased professor, along with others, was among those victimized and owed over 10 months of salary by the university's administration, which is being criticized for its actions.
“The Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. S.A. Adagbonyin, and Austin Osakwe of the Special Intervention Team, which was established by Governor Godwin Obaseki to replace the statutory University Governing Council, have come under scrutiny,” one of the sources said.
Meanwhile, the SUG denied the allegations, stating that "at that time, the university gates were shut, and academic and non-academic functions were placed on hold".
One of the sources said, “Perhaps the management had intended to use the late professor's burial for public relations purposes.
“But what if the powerful spirit of the late professor, who dedicated decades to the university, was in solidarity with the aggrieved students?
“Recently, the family of the late Prof. Omoregbe has refused to cooperate with the university's management in arranging a ‘commendation service’ for their deceased patriarch.
“While we appreciate the management for reversing the fee increments they referred to as ‘add-ons,’ it's crucial to remind them of the potential chaos resulting from the dissolution of the SUG. The SUG operates independently of management's influence and was democratically elected by the students, not the administration.
“Would the management dissolve the ASUU leadership? The answer is a resounding ‘no’. The only grounds for ‘suspending’ the SUG is in cases of internal crises between its organs that might lead to a breakdown of law and order and disturb the university's peace.
“It is on record that all organs of the Abdulfatai-led SUG are united. Moreover, the Dean of Student Affairs serves as a liaison officer and a bridge between the SUG and the university's administration.
“We, therefore, reiterate our demand for a lasting solution to the ongoing crisis within the university: the management should reinstate the SUG immediately and dismantle what it calls the Students Caretaker Government, which we view as a facade.
“The university faces numerous issues, from transcript processing delays (which takes months even at nearly N50,000 official fees) to result delays (with about two academic sets still awaiting results in some faculties). This situation is a ticking time bomb, and the management requires the SUG's assistance as it attempts to address these significant challenges.”
However, a statement issued by the school management on Sunday also noted that the lingering face-off between the management of the university and “a group of students led by the immediate past Student Union Leadership, SUG, over an alleged increase in tuition fee for returning students in the University has finally been resolved and laid to rest”.
The resolution, according to the University's Head of Corporate Communications and Protocol, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, was the outcome of a tripartite meeting between the Special Intervention Team (SIT), the Management and student representatives where all issues of concern were tabled, discussed and agreed upon.
According to the statement, the meeting considered and agreed that the tuition fees of returning students were never increased while also considering the add-ons as important dues to be paid.
It was considered that the protest could have been avoided but for a breakdown in communications. It was thus resolved that going forward, all avenues of communication must be taken advantage of.
Addressing the stakeholders' meeting, the Chairman, Special Intervention Team, Engr. Andrew Olotu, who was represented by Comrade Austin Osakue, enjoined parties to build on the outcome of the meeting with a view to collectively moving the institution forward.
"We have all learnt one thing or the other from the protest of the past weeks. The situation has opened the eyes of all stakeholders to certain realities of today. We thank God and all parties for your sincere contributions towards the resolution of the various concerns that could have led to the students' protest,” Osakue said.
Osakue further said, "The decisions of the University's Senate to suspend academic activities, dissolve the SUG, approve the appointment of a Caretaker Committee and direct resumption of academic activities were in order and borne out of a genuine desire to restore peace and normalcy to the institution.”
On his part, the head of the Management team and Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, said the University which has produced prominent Nigerians who are doing well in their various choice careers, had become a victim of bad press in recent times.
"We owe it a responsibility to ourselves and the institution to positively project AAU in everything we do, either as students or members of staff. Demarketing Ambrose Alli University for whatever reason does no one no good.
"It is our collective responsibility to make this University grow and better, which to me, is a doable project that must enjoy the support of all staff and students.
"Going forward, the Management will extend the period for the payment of school fees by a period of two weeks to accommodate returning students to meet up with their scheduled payment format. The various hostels will also open officially for all genuine students who may have conformed to the necessary line of procedure for accommodation.”
The student body that was variously represented by the team from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Caretaker Committee members, the immediate past SUG leadership, and the head of faculties and departments agreed on the need to run a crisis-free institution open for learning, the statement said.
It quoted the immediate past SUG President, Oshioke Abdulfatai Ibrahim as saying, "The decision taken here today is acceptable to us as we now have a better understanding of all the concerns we raised that led to our protest. Our protest was in good faith, we love our school, and we will not do anything to bring down its image but the fact remains that we love our students more.”
Meanwhile, the Management has directed that late registration fees for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions be suspended with immediate effect "to allow all students access to the portal to register for their courses without the payment of late registration fees for both sessions as this will allow ICT Directorate to upload all results for both sessions.”
Further directives were given to the effect that "GST and ENT results for all students should be uploaded to the portal with immediate effect", stressing that "the only criteria for upload of both results for the two sessions, in question, to kofa should be based on payment of full school fees.”
Students have, therefore, been enjoined to send a mail to the ICT Director via [email protected] should they have issues with their school fee payment, results and course registration, with an assurance that such mail would be attended to within 48 hours.