Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyi, acting Vice Chancellor (VC), of the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma says there is no increment in tuition fees for returning students of the institution, Adagbonyi said this at a press conference at the NUJ Centre on Tuesday, in Benin.
“It has become very important to us as the management of the university to come before you, by extension, before the public to explain certain things and issues concerning AAU which have been in the news in recent times.
“I make bold to tell you that a greater percentage of what is being canvassed in the media, both conventional and in the social, is truth standing on its head.
”For long, purveyors of falsehood, merchants of propaganda, dwellers in mansion of blackmail and revellers in the habit of reputation damage and de-marketing, have used AAU and its management as cannon fodders for pleasure and political profit,’ he said.
The Acting VC said that there was no increment in tuition fees for returning students, “contrary to the news making the rounds that AAU has increased tuition fees for returning students to about 100 per cent.”
Adagbonyin said the management had taken time to make public the current fees being paid in AAU by both fresh and returning students.
He, however, explained that the only additional fee for returning students was the Edo State Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS), being currently implemented across tertiary institutions in Edo.
“Members of the dissolved Students Union Government were part of the negotiation and decision taken in that respect.
“For the avoidance of doubt, these add-ons amounted to about N30,000 for all the programmes in the faculties of arts, law, management sciences, social sciences and environmental studies, N35,000 for all the programmes in the faculties of agriculture, education, engineering and technology, life sciences and physical sciences.
“Sixty thousand naira (N60,000.00) for the departments of anatomy and physiology, and finally, eighty thousand naira (N80,000.00) for the department of nursing and the faculty of medical laboratory sciences.
“The over one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N120,000.00) being bandied by the students is totally false.
“As a result of the ongoing repositioning of the MBBS programme, talks are currently on with critical stakeholders on what the realistic fees should be,”he said
According to him, those seeking to have the correct information on the existing school fees regime in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, should visit: AAU Tuition Fees.
The acting VC said the suspension and dissolution of the erstwhile SUG exco became necessary as its activities became a threat to public peace within and outside the campus.
“The students’ protracted protests in spite of plea for caution, became a threat to public peace.
“No right-thinking management would fold its arms and watch what was meant to be a peaceful protest deteriorate into anarchy and lawlessness,” he said.
Adagbonyin used the opportunity to assure legitimate students of the institution that their concerns would always be addressed fair and square.
He, however, advised the students to always remain peaceful in their conduct and adopt dialogue while seeking clarification on issues that tended to agitate them, rather than engage in acts detrimental to their wellbeing as students
”The Ambrose Alli University Management wishes to assure all law-abiding students of the University that whatever concerns them will be adequately addressed.
“Management admonishes all students to always seek clarification and be well informed rather than engaging in acts that are detrimental to their wellbeing as students.
“A lot of misinformation is in the air, and all must keep emotions aside and seek clarifications whenever in doubt,” he said.
-By NAN
