On Tuesday, students at Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture expressed their dissatisfaction through a protest over a planned hike in tuition fees announced by the university’s administration.
Furthermore, the students voiced their grievances regarding the university’s policy of barring students who had not yet paid their tuition fees from participating in their exams. Videos shared by SaharaReporters from the campus on Tuesday captured some students exiting an examination hall, protesting their expulsion.
In another footage, demonstrators were seen pursuing a figure identified as Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, the university’s vice-chancellor.
Following these events, a circular issued by the vice-chancellor on behalf of the university’s Senate declared an indefinite shutdown of the institution. According to the circular, students were instructed to leave the university grounds by no later than 5:00 pm on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
Prof. Iwe noted that the decision was made after observing that over 70 percent of students had settled their fees and were attending their exams without issue, while more than 2,000 students were arranging to pay and register for their courses. However, disruptions ensued when a group of individuals, labeled as miscreants and troublemakers by the university, began causing disturbances.
The circular highlighted, “Miscreants disrupted the long-standing peace of the university this morning, chasing the Vice-Chancellor, damaging his and his officials’ vehicles under the pretext of being denied the opportunity to sit for their 1st Semester examination due to unpaid fees.”
In response to these disruptions and in an effort to protect lives and property, the university management, on behalf of the Senate, decided to close the university indefinitely. Students were advised to vacate the premises promptly, adhering to the specified deadline.