• ASUU insists on withdrawing from postgraduate teaching, supervision over unpaid claims
• Rights group asks UI to rescind decision to expel students
The management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), yesterday, said that the Senate of the institution has shut down academic activities indefinitely over the protest of students, who were demanding 24 hours supply of electricity and water in their campuses.
The institution has been without public electricity and water for over a month, which sparked protest among the students on Wednesday.
A statement signed by UNIBEN Public Relations Officer (PRO), Benedicta Ehanire, in Benin, noted that students are to vacate the hostels immediately, while all relevant units of the university are to take note and comply.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter, yesterday, vowed to sustain its withdrawal of services from the postgraduate programme of the university to press home its demand for payment of outstanding entitlements for postgraduate teaching and supervision.
The union noted that the suspension of teaching in the postgraduate programme of the university is still in force until all already earned honoraria for postgraduate teaching, postgraduate supervision and postgraduate internal examination owed within the tenure of the current university administration are fully paid.
A statement by the Chairman, ASUU, UNIBEN, Ray Chikogu, noted that after close to five years of dialogue with the current administration of the university on payment of honoraria for postgraduate teaching and supervision, the union resolved and directed the withdrawal of members from any form of involvement/engagement in the postgraduate programme of the University of Benin.
IN a similar development, Global Rights has called on the management of the University of Ibadan to immediately rescind expulsion of three students for engaging in a peaceful protest against the sudden hike in tuition by the university management.
The three students, Olamide Gbadegeshin, Aduwo Ayodele, and Nice Linus, alongside one Olorunfemi Adeyeye, were apprehended by army officers, while protesting the fees increment at the inauguration of the Student Union Government in May 2024.
The organisation noted that while their action may have posed inconvenience to the administration of the university, extant laws clearly prescribe their right to protest peacefully.
