UNIABUJA VC ALLEGES PLOT TO DESTABILIZE THE INSTITUTION

Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), Prof. James Sunday Adelabu, has alleged that certain individuals and groups are trying to frustrate the academic activities of the institution, using the suspension of some of the academic programmes that were denied accreditation as an excuse. While reeling out steps so far taken by his administration to restore the three programmes suspended in April last year following their de-accreditation by professional bodies, Adelabu noted that such efforts were being thwarted by those he called “agents of sabotage,” who were bent on destabilizing the peace in the institution. Matters came to a head recently, when the Senate of the institution met with the students to brief them on the efforts by the management to restore the suspended academic programmes, which were suspended in April, last year. Those affected were the Faculties of Engineering, Veterinary Medicine and College of Health sciences. The session, however, turned rowdy as the students of the affected faculties promised to disrupt the planned 2011/2012 second semester examinations, which they did. The examinations in questions, according to the vice chancellor, were originally scheduled for November 2012, but had to be put-off due to students’ protest, which commenced on the same day. It was to commence on Monday, February 11 and end on March 9, 2013. “However, on Sunday, February 9, leaders of students’ departmental associations at a meeting with the university management, pleaded that the examinations should be shifted by one week, that is to February 18. This period, the students, especially the final year ones argued, would enable them prepare well. “The students in their wisdom also told members of the university management that they would engage their compatriots in the College of Health Sciences and the Engineering Faculty in a dialogue to allow peace to prevail on campus and, therefore, create a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of the examinations. “To our surprise, on Monday, February 11, just when the Senate was meeting to ratify the one-week shift, we received reports that students from the Faculty of Engineering had once again gone to lock up the gate of the main campus along Airport road, purporting to stop examinations from holding even when it was obvious to them that the examinations will not commence on that day.” To him, the action of the students amounted to playing to the gallery, even as he said the presence of television stations early in the day attested to the fact that the students would go to any length in their craze to be in the news at all cost, regardless of the negative effect of such bad publicity to them and the university as a whole. He continued: “the reportage of the Monday, February 11 incident in some sections of the media leaves one with no other impression than that there are people within and outside, who are not happy with the progress being made to position very well the new programmes and the entire university.” Meanwhile, a group, Advocacy for Change Initiative (ADI) has lamented over the prevailing situation in the university, describing it as a “National Embarrassment.” In a statement signed by the group National President Patrick Ohifeime, the group said: “The prevailing situation in the University of Abuja today, has increasingly become a source of national embarrassment, disgrace and utmost concern for every responsible and patriotic Nigerian.” “On Monday 18th February, the University could not begin its second semester examinations. This situation is assuming a very dangerous dimension with negative implications for the educational sector, students, parents, stakeholders and the Nation at large.” The group also decried the situation in which “innocent Nigerian students and their guardians continue to endure so much hardship, pain and uncertainty, while an institution that should be a center of excellence and a source of pride to the country has become a national albatross.” It submitted that the responsibility to address the problems of non-accreditation of Engineering courses, commencement of second semester exams, a new session, infrastructural upgrade and repositioning of the institution amongst others cannot be left in the hands of the university management alone. The group added: “We hereby call on the Federal Government and its agencies to take urgent steps to implement in full the white paper on the University of Abuja and restore sanity to the institution