AAU to penalize students over protests

By Editor

Sept 19, 2023

The authorities of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma Tuesday said students fingered and identified in the recent protests in the university would be penalized  in line with the school's rules and regulations.

BusinessDay reports that Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, the Acting  Vice Chancellor of the university said this during a press conference at the secretariat of the Edo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Adagbonyin said the protests were led by the  erstwhile Students Union Executives of the institution.

He added that the activities of the 

erstwhile Students Union leaders are not limited to holding hostage students who wanted to obey Senate's directive to vacate the campus.

Others are openly beating up some of the students, violently attacking and causing injuries to persons who wanted to access their places of worship on campus.

He also listed infractions committed by the erstwhile Students Union leaders to include issuing of threats to staff to prevent them from accessing their offices, prevention of mourners and sympathizers from attending the statutory commendation service in honour of a late professor among others.

He opined that the protests were politically orchestrated by non- state actors from outside the university system.

"Internal issues in the University are externalised beyond the University community and selfish individuals seek to profit from it", he said.

The Acting Vice Chancellor who said the management did not increase tuition fee to the returning students, however, admitted that there were "added-on fees.

"On behalf of the Management and the Senate of the University that there is no increment in the tuition  fees for returning students. This is contrary to the news making the rounds that AAU has increased tuition fees for returning students to about 100%. Some reports even say 200% or 300%.

"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)", he explained

He added that Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, is one of the few universities in Nigeria where students have the opportunity to pay school fees on instalment and that does not charge discriminatory fees on the basis of indigene and non-indigene.

Adagbonyin, however, assured all law abiding students that the management will adequately address whatever concerns they may have as well as admonished  them to always to seek clarification and be well informed rather than engaging in acts that are detrimental to their wellbeing as students.