Cursory: After students at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, engaged in rioting that resulted in significant damage to university assets, Vice Chancellor Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe clarified that the actions constituted rioting rather than peaceful protest. He attributed the destruction to troublemakers who exploited student unrest, emphasizing students’ responsibility for allowing themselves to be manipulated. Dismissing reports of a 60% fee increase, he stated that students spending fees on frivolous activities made it look like the fees are not affordable.
After the turmoil caused by students at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, during which university assets were vandalized by the rioting students, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, characterized the students’ actions as rioting rather than peaceful protest, resulting in significant damage to the school’s assets.
Briefing the media on the riot, Iwe explained that miscreants took advantage of the students’ riot to destroy valuable university assets, stating, “We have toured the campus this morning and seen things for ourselves. Students would not have been stupid to burn their lecture theatre and library, an act of arson, attempted looting a bank on campus, looted laboratories, shattered glasses of all buildings, pulled down walls built to secure them, damaged donor projects, among other sundry destruction.
“These actions, I am sure, were performed by miscreants, who forced the students to join them. But the students would have themselves to blame for allowing themselves to be used as cover.
“We have done everything possible to provide conducive environment and facilities for our students in the last three years. Even when the funds were not there, we borrowed and engaged on advocacy of goodwill and God has been on our side. We have also provided level-paying ground for all our staff and taken steps to protect our staff and make them happy. However, you cannot rule o
Rejecting media claims of a 60 percent increase in school fees, the Vice Chancellor expressed disappointment, asserting that certain students, who had spent their tuition fees on activities like sports betting and other unnecessary expenses, falsely alleged that the institution’s fees were unreasonably high.
The VC said that the implementation of ‘no registration, no examination’ is not a new policy in the university, stating, “It has been here and in all normal universities across the world. It is an educational policy adopted even from the kindergarten.
“Is it not a matter of wickedness and affront that people should resume studies without paying for it? Many of the people who are holding tight to returning to campus to continue their academic engagement without paying have owed through the years.
“They are the population that upholds ‘sorting’ with those lecturers who have refused to repent from sorting. This population is busy forging university receipts and documents. They have gone to the level of forging bank Remita that leads to a huge loss of university funds. They forge university Statement of Results and escape with piled up academic credits as well as charges accruing to the university. These are the kind of battles we have been fighting in the last three years.
“The international communities have been loading us with all manner of fake certificates from this university for verification and it is actually becoming alarming. People print our certificates and transcripts and use them to fish for admission and jobs without such documents emanating from us.
“These are the reasons for us to grow and adopt biometric capture, a system we use in banks and embassies. Our students and their disgruntled lecturer supporters do not want it because it will reveal their nefarious trade. The biometric capturing introduced by this administration is to solve several problems confronting the integrity of examination and service delivery to our graduates.”
Iwe however, informed that contrary to rumours, he was manhandled by the rampaging students, adding that the university Senate will meet to take decisions on the riot and destruction of property.
He added, “Nobody should bring the military into this. They were not deployed here before 6.30 pm when the police had contained the situation.”
Credits: ALLSCHOOL, PUNCH
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