By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Governing Council of the Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba has directed Management of the institution to commence the process for the review of the 2018 University Law to address observed anomalies in the law.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Marietu Tenuche, formerly Kogi State University, Anyigba, disclosed this during a press briefing at the old Lecture Theatre of the University on Thursday in Anyigba.
She said the call was in line with the report of the last Visitation Panel and other global Universities best practices.
The Nigerian Pilot reports that the move, from all indications, is part of measures to address issues of litigations and overbearing posture of the University’s Alumni Association.
“The Governing Council has directed that a Committee of Council at Senate be set up to study various sections of the law establishing the university to amend some of the provisions”, she said.
She described the activities of the Alumni Association especially culminating from the court cases and injunctions as most repulsive and contrary to the purpose of Alumni Associations, the world over.
Tenuche said that the attention of the management of the institution had been drawn to publications on some news blogs with headlines such as “Kogi State University female VC dragged to Court over alleged diversion of N31 million”,
“KSU Fraud: Thirty One Million Naira Prince Abubakar Audu University Fraud, VC and Others Drag To Court.”
She said that the publications were deliberately set up to mislead the public and cause grave disaffection to the person of the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Marietu Ohunene Tenuche.
She held that the Suit No.: AYHC/03/2023 pending before Kogi State High Court, in Anyigba, had no link whatsoever, with the allegation of fraud against the office and person of the Vice Chancellor of the University.
Tenuche took exception to the derogatory manner the Vice Chancellor was referred to in those publication as “KSU female VC” directly, taking a swipe at the gender of the person of the Vice Chancellor of the University with several conjectures.
She said that the alumni association also sought and got some interlocutory injunctions from the state High Court, and an Area Court and in line with such pronouncements, the university management paid N17 million to the association.
“The Management released the N17 million to them and closed the University Development Account formerly (Alumni Account) to let them operate independently of the University” Tenuche said.
She added that the management also also stopped collection of N2,000 University Development Levies from graduating students of the University as was previously done before the emergence of the present University Administration.
“To this end, the present University Management has never collected any Development Levy or Alumni fees from graduating students.”
The VC noted that the University vehemently objected the demand for the institution to pay their lawyer N25 million saying it had filed an appeal against subsequent garnishee order of the Kogi State High Court, Idah, at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
On Their demand for inclusion as members of the University Governing Council, the University ha+s since filed our defence to the case and response to the motion for restraining order.
“The alumni case is a diversion and a major distraction and if not properly managed, can cause tension and ignite insecurity in the institution. Since we resumed, we’ve not had any gunshot from cultist groups”, she said.