AAU Ekpoma Harbours Baggage of Graduates Without Results/Certificates
- Parents/Students urges Ag. VC, Prof Adagbonyin to release graduates’ results/certificates without delay
Indication has emerged that Ambrose Alli University, (AAU)Ekpoma might have lost the steam of the founding father, late Prof. Ambrose Alli who introduced free education during the defunct Bendel State as currently some students who graduated from the school since 2020 without any blemishes in character and learning have been sitting at home, praying that the AAU management, the Senate and the Special Intervention Team (SIT) set up by the government will be magnanimous to release their results. The departments worst hit by the AAU graduates without results tsunami cut across the science departments such as Medical Science laboratory Department, Medicine, Physiology Department, Nursing Science Department, among others.
Gentechnews correspondent got in touch with some students as well as some parents/guardians who have been narrating the excruciating pains AAU Ekpoma has put them through after spending all their fortune in sponsoring their wards with nothing to show for it after many years of graduation as well as the school management not being proactive to ensure that these results are released without delay and writes this report.
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis
-Dante Alighieri
The recent hike in school fees of some schools across the country, particularly the increment by the federal universities and state universities have continued to attract the ire and condemnation of Nigerians, especially parents and students, but what is even disparaging is the development where some students in various departments in AAU Ekpoma graduated for over three years without getting their results/certificates.
Our correspondents report that the Students of Ambrose Alli University, (AAU)Ekpoma were directed to resume full academic activities in the University with immediate effect after the school fees impasse that led to the closure of the institution, but as things span out this has been ignored by the students who have refused to resumed.
This is also not a cheering moment for the students who have graduated from same school spinning about three years as the parents of these graduates are groaning because their results have not been issued to their wards after graduation, thereby inhabiting their opportunities to be mobilized for the National Youths Service, (NYSC) scheme, as well as seeking for employment.
Gentechnews correspondent gathered from some students and parents that they are lamenting sending their wards to AAU Ekpoma for studies.
“How can a student go to school and graduate for some years without any result issued from the school as evidence of graduation and continue to stay at home hoping against hope as to when such result will be released to them,” Mrs Asemota queried.
“I have reached out to the VC Prof. Adagbonyin with pain in my heart as a concerned parent and informed him about my ward who was admitted in Medical Science laboratory Department in 2015 and suppose to rounded up since 2020, written all results completed her projects, written final council exam and not getting any of her results after graduating from Medical Science laboratory Department.
I also reached out to the Head, Corporate Communication and Protocol of the university thus: “l appreciate your good work as a spokesperson in AAU.As a concern parent l want to make an observation concerning one department, Medical laboratory science.l have a ward who was admitted to that department since 2015 ,and suppose to have rounded up since 2020,she has written all her exams, completed her project, wrote her final council exam, up till date no result has been released. I have accused her severely if she really went to school, because her friends that attended other universities have graduated, served and married. So as a concerned parent, and I know many parents are still feeling this pain in their heart and may not know how to voice it out, please l want you to use your good office to intervene in this matter because many sessions are piled up from 2015 till date, so that these students can know their stand. If l may ask, is it that the department has no accreditation or that the department has no HOD? Please if my observation is correct, l will be glad you use your good office and take appropriate action so that the reputation of the school will be in the limelight as always. Remember sir when this is accomplished, your name will be written in a marble of gold, once again i appreciate your good work. Thank you,” Mrs Esokwu from Delta State narrated.
According to Mr David Alika, “The effects of what is trending in AAU Ekpoma range from psychological distress, to reduced academic focus, low performance, increased dropouts, shattered dreams, depression, and even suicides and for we the parents, it could lead to stress and high blood pressure which may also result in death.”
Mr Odiese, a public commentor highlighted that Education is a critical investment for the common man, and its neglect could lead to societal problem
Recall, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has warned that about 50% of Nigerian university students may drop out of school within the next two years if the Nigerian government fails to stop the continuous fee hike in universities, while a 2022 UNESCO report noted that about 20 million Nigerians were out of school, mainly due to poverty.
It was also gathered that students in Physiology Department, Nursing Science Department, among others are having missing results which is unbelievable because some are in the 400 and 500 levels.
However, the students in the Nursing Science Department applauded their Head Department, Nursing Science Department, Dr Essu, who has painstakingly asked the current students with missing results as well as those with proof of the earlier released results to submit their names for him to follow up in order to rectify any abnormal in their results.
Gentechnews also recalled that this issue of missing results, none release of results and certificates have been recurring decimal until the arrival of the Acting VC Prof. Adagbonyin and the setting up of the Special Intervention Team (SIT) that most of the rot in AAU, Ekpoma came to limelight.
It was also gathered that the authorities of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma suspended the July salaries of all staff of the institution for failure of non-compliance of some Deans of Faculty and Heads of Department to submit result files, as well as suspended all financial requests from the Deans of Faculty and Heads of Department for the alleged slow pace to upload the 2020/2021 sessional results to the University’s portal (Kofa).
A statement signed then by Ambrose E. Odiase, the University’s Acting Registrar, and sighted by Gentechnews said the management’s decision was informed by “the non-compliance of some Deans of Faculty and Heads of Department to submit result files as well as the slow pace of upload of 2020/2021 sessional results to the University’s portal (Kofa).
Odiase affirmed in the statement that the implication of the failure or slow pace of the submission of result files as well as the slow pace to upload the 2020/2021 sessional results to the University’s portal (Kofa) is that the current 2022/2023 academic session cannot be activated on the Kofa.
Otunba Mike Aladenika, the Head, Corporate Communication and Protocol of the university also reportedly said that the management was disturbed with the backlog of results yet to be uploaded, adding that the development is affecting the general progression of students of the university.
He disclosed that the school directed the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Directorate to digitise all students’ academic records that are not captured on the Kofa.
“It may also interest you to know that a cartel of transcript racketeering has been smashed in the University with suspects currently before a disciplinary committee with a view to determining the level and depth of their operations within the institution.
“I can confidently tell you that it is no longer business as usual for recalcitrant elements in and outside the system, as we are more determined, than before, to wipe them out and return the University to the path of glory,” Aladenika added.
Consequently, in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria requested from AAU Ekpoma Via Otunba Mike Aladenika, the Head, Corporate Communication and Protocol of the university on 5th October 2023 requested to know how many students have been reached to collect the 2020 results from the Medical Science laboratory Department, Medicine, Physiology Department, Nursing Science Department, among others since the staff of the the school were sanctioned in July 2023 by withholding of salary for failure to compute students’ results from Departments to KOFA and the ICT Department.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria is an Act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from adverse consequences of disclosing certain kinds of official
information without authorization and establish procedures for the achievement of those purposes and; for related matters.
Enacted by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or
request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any
public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is established.
(2) An applicant under this Act needs not demonstrate any specific interest in the information being applied for.
(3) Any person entitled to the right to information under this Act, shall have the right to institute proceedings in
the Court to compel any public institution to comply with the provisions of this Act.
- (1) A public institution shall ensure that it records and keeps information about all its activities, operations and
businesses.
(2) A public institution shall ensure the proper organization and maintenance of all information in its custody in a
manner that facilitates public access to such information.
(3) A public institution shall cause to be published in accordance with subsection (4) of this Section, the
following information –
(a) a description of the organization and responsibilities of the institution including details of the
programmes and functions of each division, branch and department of the institution;
(b) a list of all –
(i) Classes of records under the control of the institution in sufficient detail to facilitate the exercise
of the right to information under this Act, and
(ii) Manuals used by employees of the institution in administering or carrying out any of the programmes or activities of the institution;
Gentechnews has requested via the FOI to Aladenika to get the details of the number of students whose results have been released from those who graduated since 2020, but up until now the school has not provided Gentechnews with any proof that these set of students’ results have been released.
The question on every parent and students’ lips are that since the directives of the school’s management have the blessing of the Special Intervention Team (SIT), how long will it take for those who graduated since 2020, among others get their results, proceed to NYSC, bearing in mind that there is employability age in Nigeria’s job ecosystem. Therefore, the VC AAU, Senate, STI and the Management team should remember the words of Stephen Grellet which he wrote:
“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
― Stephen Grellet
