A lawyer, Malachy Ugwumadu has advised the students of the University of Abuja to continue protesting the non-accreditation of their courses after spending at least 8 years studying, adding that “the students are wielding their legitimate right.”
Mr Ugwumadu, while discussing the issues surrounding the University of Abuja on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, said that the whole brouhaha reeked of ‘corruption.’
Students in three different faculties, Vet medicine, engineering and medicine recently took to the streets to protest the non-accreditation of their courses, blocking the street and disrupting ongoing school examinations.
Speaking to Channels Television, the Vice Chancellor of the university, James Adelabu said that the issue of accreditation of medical programme is almost complete.
Corruption
However, Mr Ugwumadu voiced his suspicions of corrupt practices at the management level.
“I think that at the heart of this crisis is the question of corruption,” he said.
He described the issue as fortunate.
“It is one problem-too many. They have a recurrent student uprising.”
He ascribed the university’s challenges to its failure to relocate to the permanent site where larger facilities, infrastructure and basic necessities that will effectively qualify the faculty will be available. These are criteria the National Universities Commission (NUC) looks out for in accrediting an institution.
Compensation
The protesting students of the institution have demanded monetary compensation of N10 million each as well as transfer to other universities, in order to progress in their academic pursuit.
Mr Ugwumadu agreed that money cannot compensate the number of years wasted but said that financial gratification might not essentially be the motive.
He said a transfer to another university “would also be a serious breach of the contract”.
The students should intensify their agitation. The students should reach out more effectively, the students should get much more organised.
He admonished them to be idealistic but added that they shouldn’t throw caution to the wind. “You can effectively secure what you are entitled to.”
He called on the commissioner of police to advise the students on how best to get the attention of the presidency.
