Students of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, went on the rampage over tuition fees hike. However, they claim that the violence was instigated by a politician. OSAGIE OTABOR reports.

On February 15, students’ union leaders at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, were scheduled to meet with officials of the Edo State government at the Government House to negotiate the planned increase of tuition fees.

The meeting never held as some students, mostly those running part-time programmes, had planned to stage a peaceful protest in Ekpoma to force the government to reduce the fees. What was thought would be a peaceful protest became violent as thugs and hoodlums hijacked the process and, within a few minutes, Ekpoma was on fire.

Bonfires were lit on the Benin-Auchi-Abuja Expressway where the institution is located and two vehicles, one of which belonged to the council chairman, were set ablaze. The AAU Cooperative filling station and the security post were destroyed by the protesting students.

It was learnt that before the aborted Monday meeting, stakeholders had met on January 16 and discussed the possibility of reviewing tuition fees.

In attendance at the meeting were traditional rulers, market women, clergy men, students’ representative, members of the management and others.

Sources at the meeting told The Nation that there were divergent opinions on whether tuition fees should be increased or not. The market women representative, according to a source, refused bluntly while the student representative said the fees should be increased minimally.

Another 22-man sub-committee was set-up and after a series of discussions, three recommendations were forwarded to the governing council which approved them, but the students’ union body was against it.

The tuition fees were said to have been increased from N26,000 to between N60,000 and N76,000 for full-time students and part-time students’ N30,000 to N100,000.

It was at that point that students raised objection and decided to stage a peaceful protest, which was hijacked, leaving many injured and some properties destroyed.

A faction of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) reacted immediately, saying it rejected the over 300 per cent planned fees increment by the state government and management.

In a statement signed by factional President and Secretary-General, Jude Imagwe and Western Iyamu, the body called for the reversal of what it termed "all unbearable fees increment in AAU and other institutions."

It also called for the release of students arrested and a proper investigation of wounded students receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

NANS advised students to begin dialogue with a view not to allow another recourse to vandalism, thuggery and destruction of properties.

The protest was alleged to have political undertone. The students, at a meeting with Governor Adams Oshiomhole, accused a former governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former presidential aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, of inciting them to carry out the protest over the hiked fees.

The Co-ordinator of the Part-Time Students Association, Matthew Ehidiamhe, who led other students to the meeting with Oshiomhole, alleged that Ihonvbere encouraged students to embark on the protest when he visited the university.

He said: "We got the rumour about the increase in school fees and we were trying to make arrangement to see the governor for discussion. We have been having meetings on the best way, but he showed up at our last meeting last Sunday evening and encouraged students not to relent, but to fight for their rights.

"Ihonvbere showed up again on Monday at about 2pm to offer a helping hand and financial assistance to clear the medical bill of those injured during the protest."

Oshiomhole, while noting that the protest was hijacked by hoodlums purportedly sponsored by "frustrated politicians to cause destruction", urged the students to be wary of such people who pretend to be student-friendly.

He said the institution would not be used as a revenue drive but that any fund collected would be re-injected for infrastructural development.

Emphasising that his administration was determined to leave AAU better than it met it, Oshiomhole assured that he would continue to give monthly grants to the institution, for salaries and infrastructural development.

He, however, said the tuition fees could not be left as it was if the institution must develop. The state, according to him, gave N1.8 billion to the institution last year.

"The state government is ready to increase subvention to the institution, but it must be used to enhance the learning facilitiesl. It is not in our best interest to have a university that cannot compete with other institutions of higher learning.

"The money should be used to improve teaching facilities and solve problems of over-crowded lecture theatres. If the fees are to remain at N18,000, then the school will be the way it was," he noted.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sam Uniamikogbo, alluded to this in a briefing, alleging that some politicians want the present administration to fail.

"Unfolding events have shown that it has political dimension. It was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration but hoodlums and miscreants who were already stationed on the streets hijacked the process. Politicians against the present administration wanted to instigate the public against it. Some of them are not happy with our positions," he said.

Uniamikogbo also announced a reduction in the tuition fees and disclosed that the 6,900 part-time students whose fees were increased from N30,000 to N100,000 are now to pay N60,000.

Besides, he said regular students whose population stood at 13,319 are to pay between N49,500 – N62,000 as against the N58,000 – N70,000 approved by the governing council. He added that the fees could be paid in two installments.

Uniamikogbo said: "Apart from increase in salaries of workers and the sincere desire of this administration to develop the university, the management is faced with a big challenge of paucity of funds.

"It is in an attempt to handle this challenge that an upward review of fees payable by our students has become imperative. At the moment, the highest school fees payable by our regular students is N18,600".

A committee headed by the Director of Works, Mr George Ohilebo, has been set-up to assess the damages from the crisis.

The VC said the Senate would not hesitate to mete out punishment to those found guilty after reviewing the report of the committee.

It, however, appears the students union representatives have agreed to the newly approved fees following a meeting with the management.

Reacting to the allegation via a text message, Ihonvbere said he could not have incited the students, having done much for the university.

His words: "I have helped that university more than any other person in Edo State government. My books are in the library. My prize for the Best Political Science Student is there. I set up a computer centre in the Faculty of Engineering. I helped to bring V-sat to the school in collaboration with Osiwa. I established the Institute for Governance and Development with $300,000. I helped to raise over $170,000 for the institute. I have over 60 students there that I pay their fees and I am the patron of several students associations.

　"Now, I know the government is desperate. Such acts of desperation only weaken a government. I am too mature to do such a thing. What do I gain? A university that I have helped so much. The current administration of AAU is unfair and ungrateful. I visited students who were shot at the hospital after my meeting in Irrua and offered to pay their bills. I have the right to go anywhere and visit anyone in Edo State . The government is jealous that people appreciated it. I know that the governor with his record would do same if he was on the other side. It is those that planned to increase school fees that incited the students, not me. Any right thinking person would oppose astronomical fee increase. I did not incite students. Edo people know me well. I do not incite people to violence. I am an ambassador of peace."