The Management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, MOUAU, said it was still taking stock of facilities destroyed by miscreants during students’ protest on Tuesday.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, who stated this during a press conference at the university Wednesday evening, said so much was damaged during the protest which he described as “riot”.
This is as the VC said that the University Senate would meet on Thursday to take a decision of what to do next.
He, however, refuted media reports that he was manhandled by students during the protest, explaining that it was his security details that dragged him back to his vehicle to avoid being attacked by the protesters.
The VC said that the havoc was wreaked by miscreants who he said hijacked the protest.
Professor Iwe said it was not imaginable that students of the university could have been responsible for the quantum of havoc wreaked during the riot.
The VC, however, warned that “students will have themselves to blame for allowing themselves to be used as cover” by those behind the ‘riot’.
” We have toured the campus this morning and seen things for ourselves. Students would not have been stupid to burn their lecture theater and library; attempted looting a bank on campus; looting laboratories, shattering glasses of all buildings.
” These actions, I’m sure were performed by miscreants who forced the students to join them”.
The VC said that Management had been making spirited efforts to provide “good environment and facilities for the students” despite paucity of funds.
He said that the university receives only N9 million as monthly overhead while its monthly running cost is N100 million.
The VC further explained that the policy of not allowing students to sit for exams without paying their complete charges is not peculiar to MOUAU.
He explained that the university needed funds to remain afloat, hence the decision of management to insist that every student must pay complete charge before taking exam.
The VC further explained that contrary to some reports, the management did not increase charges by 60%, dismissing the reports as false.
Professor Iwe also said that biometric verification was introduced by management to stop impersonation in examination halls and cases of missing scripts.
He said his administration decided to frontally challenge the various ills in the university but regretted that those benefiting from them are fighting back.
The VC vowed that bad eggs in the system including staff who compromise standards would be severally sanctioned.
Recall that students of the university, Tuesday embarked on protest against attempt by management to deny them access to examination halls.
Some buildings were torched during the protest.
