University of Benin Recalled students and management at beefing again

The management of the University of Benin and the five students who were just recalled in February after two months of suspension are at loggerheads again. The five students union
members led by Osamudiamen Ogbidi were suspended from the university in December 2017 for attempting to disrupt the University’s 47th Founder’s Day and 43rd Convocation ceremonies.

However, after the intervention of eminent Nigerians, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Faraday Orumwunse announced the recall of the five students on Tuesday, February 13.

Meanwhile, barely two weeks after the recall of the students, the university management has allegedly compelled the student union president to hand over his office key to the Chief Security Officer of the university on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Speaking with Pulse about the new development, the SUG president said the ''CSO mobilized his men to my office today, overpowered me and change my door key''

''As I speak with you my office, sec Gen, pro and as can't access their office. He has been asking for the key since Monday when we went to the office. And I have maintained a ground that, he should stop calling me. Upon this, I had to call the NANS President to inform him and he said I shouldn't give him some time.

''After their meeting today, he also called me and requested for the same key, but I still insist I won't give me. Then he has to mobilise his men in full capacity to change my key''

However, the Chief Security Office of the university while speaking with Pulse said the student union members have no right to stay in the office again.

He said, if their offices are locked, what resulted to that? They said the CSO locked their offices, can the CSO just wake up one day and start locking their offices? What positions are they holding in the school? Are they still SUG members or they have been rusticated, recalled to complete their academic work?

If they had been called back to complete their academic work, should they still be parts of the student unionism? They were rusticated and recalled to complete their academic pursuit and in the process, and acting president has been appointed while the speaker remain the speaker of the union. So why are they occupying the office they no longer have right to occupy?  And if the CSO has the right to collect the keys from them and for about three to five days they refused to tender the keys and he decided to lock the office, is there any crime in it?

You will recall that the five students during their suspension rejected the Vice Chancellor's conditional offer for their recall saying they were not guilty of the offence for which they were suspended and they can not apologise when they had not committed any offence.

SOURCE:  pulse.ng