Authorities of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) says it has severed ties with the school’s alumni association, the NOUN Alumni Association

This followed the refusal of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association to agree to a truce proffered by the university’s management to resolve a lingering factional crisis between the two groups at a meeting held at the NOUN Headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday.

Consequently, with effect from Wednesday, June 15, 2016, the school’s Advancement Unit, which was empowered to liaise and work with the association has been withdrawn, and membership of the association now purely voluntary.

Vice Chancellor of the school, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, while making the announcement stressed that henceforth the university would not be responsible for the alumni association, as it now deems it a voluntary body for former students who chose to join it.

“The university does not have any hand in the affairs of the association,” Abdalla said adding that, “The university will henceforth treat and relate with NOUN Alumni Association as a voluntary association that is independent and remains on its own.”

At last week’s meeting attended by officials of both bodies, Adamu had noted that there were numerous complaints from members of the association and the general public, which border on power tussle and allegations of wrong doings against both the BOT and the NEC.

He appealed to all concerned parties to sheath their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the association and by extension the image of the university, while also suggesting steps to take with a view to resolving the lingering crisis.

Adamu asked both parties to look at themselves as ambassadors of NOUN who were interested in its growth and development, just as he urged them to embrace peace in the handling of the association’s affairs. He equally urged them to settle all pending court cases out of court.

The vice chancellor apart from urging both parties to agree to withdraw pending court cases, and the dissolution of the current BOT and NEC (from the state to the federal levels) following due process, also recommended that a caretaker committee be set up to conduct the affairs of the association and putting in place a timetable for fresh polls.

Unfortunately, the BOT and NEC stood their grounds and failed to agree to the truce terms, thereby forcing the university’s management to take sever links with the group.