SAHARA REPORTERS
The Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State has illegally moved students admitted into Law and Medical Laboratory Sciences courses to other departments after they had paid N71,900 acceptance fees.
It was gathered that the university sold the students’ admissions to children of the rich and connected in the country after the management had collected bribes from their parents.
“It is clear that the Law course was the target because admission was still going on till today. The affected students have paid acceptance fees of N71,900 and were already processing their admissions.
“Now they were moved to other departments to give space for the children of connected and influential bidders,” a senior lecturer in the University who spoke on condition of anonymity told SaharaReporters on Thursday.
According to him, the university published a special release titled: “Notice To All Newly Admitted Students (UTME and DE)” on Thursday, August 10, 2023, directing all students admitted to into Law and Medical Laboratory Sciences to pay their full school fees before Monday, August 14, 2023.
The source noted that if the university authorities were not corrupt, they wouldn’t have released a statement on Thursday evening directing students to pay full school fees during the weekend.
“The students had only Friday and Monday to make the payments. You know, the students will first generate a Remita invoice before proceeding to the bank to pay.
“So the university authority had in mind that because of the internet issues and heavy traffic on the university site, a lot of students would not be able to generate Remita invoices to pay the fees within two working days, and then they would sell their admissions to children of connected Nigerians,” the university source said.
The special release which SaharaReporters obtained on Thursday, was signed by the Acting Registrar of the University, Ambrose E. Odiase, and Head, Corporate Communications, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika.
The release read, “The University Management has directed that ALL admitted UTME and DE Students into LAW and MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE have been given up to midnight on Monday 14th of August, 2023, to pay their FULL school fees.
“Any student who fails to pay his/her school fees at the expiration of the deadline will be deemed to have forfeited their admission into the two programmes and will be moved to other programmes where they qualify to be admitted but subject to availability of space.
“The Deputy Registrar (Admissions) and the ICT Director have been mandated to enforce the implementation of the above directive.
“This is for the information of all new students, parents, the University community and general public.”
SaharaReporters gathered that some students have been moved to Bachelor of Arts in English and History and International Studies.
“They (students) were admitted to study law. They have paid acceptance fees. While the admission process is still ongoing, the university management must have seen good bidders for the law course and they made a release that whoever didn’t pay school fees within four days would be dropped from the law.
“This is unacceptable and condemnable. So, this means that the students of the poor who are brilliant cannot study certain courses in Nigeria because of corruption. It is disheartening,” another lecturer at the university said.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Registrar of the University and Head, Corporate Communications, Mr Odiase and Mr Aladenika respectively were unsuccessful as they did not answer their calls.
They had yet to respond to text messages sent to their mobile phones at the time of filing this report.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
