The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, has absolved the school’s Students Union of planning and execution of the protests that halted activities in the school last Tuesday.
The VC said the protest was masterminded by miscreants, who later forced the students to join them, adding, however, that the students should be faulted for allowing themselves to be used as “cannon folder in the protests.”
Speaking at the weekend,Iwe said: “Students would not have been stupid to burn their lecture theatre and library, attempt to loot a bank on campus, loot laboratories, shatter glasses of all buildings, pull down walls and damage donor projects etc.”
Iwe said the unrest was instigated by one radio station in Umuahia through its phone- in programme.
“The station and its staff did not bother to interview us, did not link us up in their phone-in programme, but linked up with some disgruntled elements, who falsely claimed to be students, deceived people in the streets to believe them and asked them to fight the university,” he said.
Explaining that the university did everything possible to provide good environment and facilities for its students in the last three years, including providing a level-playing ground for staff, the VC debunked the alleged 60 per cent increase in school fees and circulated the correct figure.
According to Iwe, before the beginning of the 2023/2024 session, the university’smanagement prepared fees required for the session in conjunction with the Students Union leaders, held about three meetings and agreed with the students on what eventually was sent to the university senate for final approval.
On the ‘no pay, no examination’ policy, which has beencited as one of the causes of the violent protests, Iwe stated that it was a normal practice across the world, which even somekindergartens have adopted.
“Many people insistingon returning to campus to continue their academic engagements without paying the required fees have been owing the school through the years.
“This population are busy forging university receipts and documents, bank documents that lead to a huge loss of university funds. They also forge statement of results and escape with piled up academic credits and charges accruing to the university,” he added.
He disclosed that the international community has been “loading us with all manner of fake certificates from this university to verify and it is actually becoming alarming.
“People print our certificates and transcripts and use them to fish for admission and jobs.
These were why we adopted biometric capture system, which is used by banks and embassies, but our students and their disgruntled lecturer-supporters do not want it because it will reveal their nefarious trade.”
