The Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, has said that at least 13,898 of the 16,759 students’ population had paid their tuition fees.
Iwe disclosed this at a news conference at the university on Wednesday.
He said that the figure was obtained as at Monday, February 6, from the newly introduced biometric capturing of students.
He said that no fewer than 2,000 students were also in the process to pay and register their courses within the period under review.
The vice chancellor further said that the management organised the conference “to tell its side of the story, with facts and figures”, following Tuesday’s violent protest by the students.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students of the university went on rampage on Tuesday to protest against the “no pay no examination” policy by the management.
Consequently, the management on the same day announced an indefinite closure of the university and suspension of all academic activities “to safeguard lives and property in the school”.
The management also ordered the students to vacate the campus.
Iwe, who condemned the protest, decried the “colossal damage” on the school property by the protesters.
According to him, students could not have been stupid to burn their lecture theatre and library, attempted to loot a bank on campus, looted laboratories and shattered glasses of all the buildings on campus.
He said that the implementation of “no registration no examination” was not a new policy.
Iwe said that the policy had been in place in the institution and “all normal universities across the world”.
“University is not a place where people can acquire education on credit.
“The point is that it is either you have the money to pay and be trained or you stay away,” Iwe said.
He said that the university Senate would sit to review the development and decide when the university would reopen. (NAN)
