Education

UniAbuja rusticates final year students for criticising fee hike

Two final year students of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Cyprian Igwe and Olalekan Oladeru, have been rusticated by the management of the institution for urging their colleagues to dialogue on the institution’s hike of its tuition fees.

It was gathered that the students, who just finished their final-year examinations, had, in a WhatsApp message, invited their colleagues to a meeting to share ideas on how to convince the university to reduce the fees.

The students of the university had planned to embark on a protest after returning students in the Arts and related faculties were ordered to be paying N82,000, while their medical counterparts were asked to pay N225,000.

It was learned that new students would be paying between N85,000 and over N100,000 in the Arts faculties, while medical students would pay above N225,000.

Following the hike, Igwe, who is the Students’ Union Government’s Director of Socials, in the WhatsApp message, said: “Good evening house. We will be having a meeting tomorrow by 6:00 p.m. in regard to school fees, let’s know our way forward.

“I am deeply in pain, many students can’t pay, I hope the SUG President is in this group. I need everyone’s ideas. I rather risk my life, my admission than seeing thousands of students drop out. If the spirit of Aluta lives in us, it has to wake up. Please be part of this meeting.”

Also, Oladeru, who is the incumbent SUG Director of Sports, it was gathered, shared Igwe’s comment on WhatsApp.

However, the management of UniAbuja, in the rustication letter dated May 26, 2023, and signed by Alkasim Umar, the Deputy Registrar (Academic) on behalf of the Registrar, accused Igwe and Oladeru of circulating an “inciteful press release” capable of jeopardising the peaceful and smooth conduct of academic activities in the university.

The letter read: “You will recall that on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, an inciting press release was made available to the public, purportedly signed by the Student Union Government’s President and Speaker.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that you and Oladeru Samson Olamilekan (18291126) facilitated and circulated the information.

“Your actions are capable of jeopardising the peaceful and smooth conduct of academic activities in the university and a breach of the University Matriculation Oath.

“By the powers conferred on the Vice-Chancellor as contained in the University of Abuja Act, he, on behalf of the Senate, has directed your immediate rustication from the university.

“Accordingly, you are banned from all university campuses pending the determination of the case.”

But following a public outcry over their rustication, the management of the institution, on Saturday, May 27, said Igwe and Oladeru were “suspended” and not “rusticated,” contrary to a letter issued to them.

The UniAbuja Director of Public Affairs, Dr Habib Yakoob, who made this known, said: “Two students were suspected to have issued and circulated a write-up purportedly in the name of the SUG President and Speaker (who has disowned the write-up promptly). This is impersonation/forgery.

“The content of the said write-up was quite inciting and capable of upsetting the peace and tranquil environment that the university has been known for. Preliminary investigations implicated the two, hence the decision to suspend them pending the full determination of the matter.

“Please, note that they weren’t suspended because they complained about an increment in fees.”

However, the students denied making inciteful comments against the university.

Igwe said: “We have concluded our final examinations, and are only awaiting our results. We know nothing about the purported inciteful message that the school management queried us about, and relied on to issue us rustication letters.

“The press release attributed to the SUG President and Speaker was posted by a certain number whose identity we do not know, and the school has refused to investigate the person behind the number.

“Instead, they interrogate all the SUG executives, and rusticated me and Oladeru without evidence to prove the allegations leveled against us.”

On his part, Olateru said: “I was surprised when the school invited us for interrogation. I couldn’t attend to the interrogators on Tuesday because I was away working to make ends meet, but when I showed up on Friday, I was grilled for over four hours.”

The Star