Amid the ongoing protest over the hike in the University of Benin (UNIBEN) tuition fees, The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami, has promised to reverse the N20,000 late registration fee introduced by the varsity management.
Salami said that the complaints raised by protesting students against the hike in late registration would be reversed immediately.
The Vice Chancellor made the promise on Wednesday after the aggrieved students ignored the order of the university senate to close down the school and continued their protest against the hike in their tuition fee.
Rather than leave the school premises, the students marched to the official lodged of the Vice-Chancellor and practically picked her and demand that she walk with them.
Having seized the professor of Food and Nutrition, the students forced her on a tortuous journey from her official residence to the university’s main gate on the Benin-Lagos road, on foot.
Sandwiched among the sea of heads, the protesting students, who made several video recordings of the Vice-Chancellor, trekking the long distance, allowed the Vice chancellor access to her vehicle.
Besides, Professor Salami was said not to have been accorded the luxury of riding in the demobilised vehicle alone, as some of the students jumped into a vehicle with her to ensure that she did not escape.
Trouble started when the university closed the students’ registration portal, three weeks after the resumption and surcharged those who could not register, while the portal was opened a late registration fee of N20,000.
Following the protest, the institution management shut down the school premises to avoid further breakdown of law and order across the varsity.
The institution also directed students occupying the school hostels in Edo State to vacate before 12 pm on Wednesday, in compliance with the directives.
The statement signed by the VC, Prof. Lilian Salami, reads in part: “After due consultation, and in the overall interest of the general students’ body, the Vice-Chancellor has, on behalf of Senate, approved the closure of the University with immediate effect.
“This is based on security reports to avoid the students’ action being hijacked by hoodlums and thereby prevent any form of breakdown of law and order within and outside the campuses of the University.
“Accordingly, all students are to vacate the hostels and the University premises not later than 12 noon on Wednesday 15th, September 2021.”
