AAU Mgt Suspends Academic Activities Indefinitely Over Students’ Protest
Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma has suspended academic activities indefinitely and asked the students to go home following their protest over an alleged hike in tuition fees.
The Pendulum Media learned about a protest organised by the students of the institution which began on Friday, September 1, 2023, over an alleged increase in the school fees of returning students.
According to reports, the students’ protest was ill-timed as it disrupted both academic activities and a scheduled commendation service in honor of a late professor of economics, Prof. Moses Isunu Aliemen.
Joy, a student of the institution, confirmed the incident to The Pendulum Media on Monday saying that, they(the students) have been asked to leave the school premises adding that students have consistently been overburdened by the management’s frequent increase of the school fees.
She said, “When I got admission
My school fees for my course was N102, 250 then, it was increased to N152, 250, that’s a whooping 50k increase. Now this year, they increased the fees to N252,250 before re-adjusting it to N192,925 which is still relatively high”.
She noted that the fresh students were asked to pay N192,925 and lowered the fees for the returning students. “Now they added 20k, some others 50k” she added.
However, the protest has led to the dissolution of the student union executive and the postponement of the 40th matriculation ceremony of the institution indefinitely.
Reacting, the Student Union Government earlier expressed their condolences to the loved ones of the late Prof. Moses Isunu Aliemen in a statement noting that the ambulance that was conveying the deceased was not hindered from entering the school premises.
Also, the SUG in a follow-up statement, expressed that a resolution has been reached by all the students of Ambrose Ali University to remove and replace the Dean of Students, Prof. Emmanuel Ufuah(Ph.D.) over his failure to defend the students’ interests.
Further, the University, in a memo signed by its Acting Registrar, Ambrose E. Odiase, and obtained by The Pendulum Media said the suspension of academic activities became necessary following an emergency meeting of the University’s Senate in Ekpoma on Monday to appraise the continued protest by students running into days.
The memo reads,“In order to prevent a total breakdown of law and order as well as the need to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the University community and its environs, Senate was left with no other choice than to direct an immediate suspension of academic activities.
“To this effect, all students residing in the hostels on campus are to vacate the Halls of Residence without fail within the next twenty-four hours. This indicates that no student should be seen in or around the Halls of Residence of the University by 3 pm no student should be seen in or around the Hall on September 5.”
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