Vice-Chancellor Flees MOUAU As Students Rebel Against “No School Fees, No Exam” Policy

Tensions reached a boiling point today at Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture Umudike (MOAU), Abia state as students staged a massive revolt against the institution’s “No School Fees, No Exam” policy.

The situation escalated, when the vice chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, led his team enforce the “NO SCHOOL FEES NO EXAM” policy on final year students writing exams.

According to one of the students, Who doesn’t want his name printed , noted that the protest was as result of failed negotiation between the students and the University management.

“Our grievances is not on the increment of the school fees, but failure of the management to all students pay fees installmental”

“Our School fees before the current Vice chancellor was between N5600, he increase it to N90000 and subsequently increased it to N130,000 but refuse to allow students pay installmentally” The student explained.

The policy, which mandates that students must settle their tuition fees in full before being allowed to sit for examinations, has sparked outrage among the student body

He further explained that “ What caused todays protest was that yesterday, our first semester exams started and almost 50 percent have not paid school fees and if you did not pay school fees,  you will not be allowed to take the exams and will amount to automatic carry-over”

However, the mass mobilization of students signals a significant challenge to the institution’s policies and raises questions about the administration’s ability to address the grievances of its student body.

In response to the escalating protests, that forced the Vice-Chancellor to flee the university environment, the School authorities have issued formal statement to clamp down academic activities.

The statement reads partly “ This is to notify the public that the Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Abia State woke up to experience the violation of long existing peace of the University this morning”

“Miscreants took over the university chasing and pursuing the Vice-Chancellor, damaging his official vehicle and those of his officials claiming that they were not allowed to take their 1^st semester examination owing to failure to pay their charges”

“To safeguard life and properties on campus, the University management has on behalf of the senate ordered an indefinite down the university indefinitely”

The statement added that “All students are advised to vacate the University premises immediately but not later than 5:00pm on Tuesday , 6^th February 2024