THE management of the University of Abuja has rusticated two students’ union leaders it accused of instigating resistance against the recent increment in the institution’s fees.
Premium Times reported on Thursday that the students were rusticated without being presented an opportunity to defend the allegations levelled against them.
The victims are the university’s students’ union’s Directors of Socials and Sports, Igwe Cyprian, and Oladeru Olamilekan, respectively. They were accused of “facilitating and circulating” statements allegedly capable of bringing unrest to the campus.
The university reportedly issued to them letters of rustication last Friday, declaring them persona non grata on the campus “pending the determination of their case,” Premium Times reported.
The university accused both students of breaching the matriculation oath by allegedly sharing an inciting statement that is “capable of jeopardising the peaceful and smooth conduct of academic activities in the university.”
“By the powers conferred on the vice-chancellor as contained in the University of Abuja Act, he, on behalf of Senate, has directed your immediate rustication from the university,” parts of the letter, read, adding; “Accordingly, you are banned from all university campuses pending the determination of the case.”
Meanwhile, the university’s spokesperson, Habib Yakoob, said the preliminary investigation by the university indicted both students of impersonation and forgery, insisting that they were only ‘suspended’ and not expelled; adding that the case against the two students was not because of their opposition to the hike in tuition fees.
He, however, accused them of “impersonation and forgery” as well as “inciting the students against the management, to disturb the tranquil environment that the university has maintained for years.”
He said: “The students were suspected to have issued and circulated a certain write-up purportedly in the name of the SUG President and Speaker of the university. Interestingly, these two officials have denied writing or issuing the statement, and there is no evidence that it actually emanated from them.”
He said preliminary investigations implicated the students, hence the decision for the “suspension pending the full determination of the matter.”
But both students have denied any wrongdoing in separate interviews with this newspaper.
It would be recalled that the university announced on May 1, 2023 a new fee regime, which reportedly increased the old rate by about 100 per cent or more depending on students’ courses of study.
Students across various departments and faculties expressed shock and fear that they may not be able to meet up with the newly announced fees.
Announcing the hike, the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, explained in a post on the institution’s Facebook page, among other platforms, that with the increase in the cost of maintaining the school and providing a world-class education to students, the institution had no choice but to increase fees.
“My dear students, you will agree with me that getting materials needed for education is one of the most daunting tasks for educational institutions,” he said, adding: “These charges being introduced reflect the serious national inflation and the UofA’s determination that our students cannot and must not receive second-class education.”
He also handed a fierce warning that any student who attempts to use the development to incite violence on the campus will be faced with heavy sanctions.
Prof Na’Allah added: “Finally, I want to appeal to you not to join any gangs that would want to create violence on campus due to the increase in fees.
“The repercussions are swift and merciless. If anyone is caught anywhere destroying anything or simply disturbing the peace of our campus, I promise you I will descend heavily on such a person by showing him or her a way out.”
Students across various social media platforms fumed at the decision, even as some of them called for the removal of the vice-chancellor while others suggested a peaceful protest to compel the university to reverse the hike.
