A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr Oriname Akeredolu has slammed the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Prof. Sonnie Adagonyin over the plan to commence the second-semester examination for the 2020/2021 academic session without students being taught and prepared for the examination.
In a petition to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) dated 29th June by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Akeredolu on behalf of some concerned students of the university, he vowed to head to court to seek legal redress within five days of the service of the letter if the authorities refused to postpone the examination.
Titled “Petition against the Vice-Chancellor and Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State”, the lawyer expressed serious concern that while the roll-over national industrial action by various staff unions in public universities is still on “the university in a militia and gestapo like manner” announced the resumption of academic activities and a new adjusted academic calendar.
He argued that by virtue of the purported adjusted calendar, lectures were to commence on 30th May, continuous assessment to begin on 20th – 25th June and examinations to begin 4th July.
Akeredolu noted that at the time of being briefed, not a single lecturer in the department of his client and other departments have taught any topic since the purported resumption and commencement of lectures.
He substantiated his claim by the press release of 23rd May by the University chapter of ASUU with the title, “ASUU AAU, Ekpoma is still fully on strike: Any Resumption News is a Hoax.”
Akeredolu explained that it was crystal clear that his client and other students of the state-owned institution have not been taught since the commencement of the second-semester academic session.
He penned: “The hell-bent approach of the university to commence examination to evaluate students that were not taught by their lecturers, and having to answer questions not prepared by the course lecturers is an act of grave injustice and one which violates the sacred principles of natural justice, equity and good conscience.”
The petitioner drew the attention of the NUC scribe to the commission’s news bulletin, dated 22nd October 2018, which expressly stated that all universities are to devote 13 weeks per semester for teaching, adding that the action of AAU, Ekpoma runs contrary to this guideline laid by the Commission in the said bulletin.
The Lagos-based Lawyer pleaded: “We want you to use your good office to cause an investigation to be made in respect of the foregoing and use your statutory and inherent powers to stop the management of the university from embarking on this ill-fated journey as it portends great danger and a bad precedent for our already comatose educational system.