AAU Students Protest Management Policies

Some aggrieved Students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma recently took to the streets to protest what they described as some obnoxious policies of the authorities.
During the protest which started as early as 6am, academic and administrative activities were disrupted at the Edo State-owned institution.
The main gate of the university along the Benin-Auchi Road was locked by the protesting students against the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin and other staff. Both staff and visitors were stranded as a result.
Academic and administrative activities were also grounded a day earlier at the institution’s College of Medicine following a similar protest by students of Medical Laboratory against anti-student policy of the school.
One of the protesting students who gave her name as Sarah deplored the action of the authorities, insisting that it was very insensitive to the numerous challenges confronting the students.
Another protester, who refused to give his name, vowed that the action will continue until their demands were fully met.
The students’ protest coincided with the growing frustration among staff of the university traced to the failure of the Visitor, Governor Godwin Obaseki to tackle the institution’s sundry problems like the absence of Governing Council, payment of arrears of salaries, repression and victimisation of workers by the former Special Intervention Team (SIT).
There is also the critical problem of complete withdrawal of funding to the school which has led to selective payment of salaries, non-payment of salaries of many staff for 28 months and unpaid arrears of check-off dues and other sundry deductions for several years.
In a swift response to the series of protests presently rocking the institution, an emergency Senate meeting has called for June 6, to address matters of urgent importance, including the issue of course registration and proceeding list for law students, according to a circular issued by the university’s acting registrar, Ambrose Odiase.