Management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has suspended a Student Activist, Comrade Obinna Ezechukwu and set up a Panel of Inquiry to probe into the activities of the former student, throughout his stay in the University, METROWATCH can authoritatively report.

Ezechukwu, a fresh graduate of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, is being investigated by the UNIBEN management over an article he authored recently, after the University increased her school fees for new students by over a 100 per cent.

“UNIBEN got an annual allocation of N19.53b for 2023. Can the Management be bold enough to open their book and tell the public what these funds were used for so we can take away the doubts that these funds are not enough? Transparency helps a lot,” one of the now-deleted post on Twitter read.

It was gathered that Ezechukwu’s graduation from the University of Benin was put on hold by the UNIBEN management over the article which the University’s top officials say is “critical” of the Salami-led administration.

The Management had allegedly expunged Obinna’s name from the University’s Graduation List over the article, which forced him to miss the compulsory one-year National Youth Service after the Institution failed to mobilise him.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that Ezechukwu who is yet to be officially briefed of his alleged offence, has been formally invited to appear before the Panel on Monday, July 24 at the University’s Senate Chambers by 10:00AM.

A copy of the invitation letter addressed to Obinna and obtained by METROWATCH, dated 20th July, 2023 was signed by Barr (Mrs) Juliet I. Osawemwenze, Secretary of the Panel, under the Office of the Registrar.

“You are invited to appear before the Panel of Inquiry set up by the Vie (sic) Chancellor in relation to the case you have with the School Authority,” the letter read in part, warning that, “failure to appear may attract indefinite suspension.”

Membership of the Panel has been shrouded in secrecy, even as Management has kept mum on the matter. It is not immediately clear if any Students’ Representative would be sitting on the Panel.

Efforts to obtain comment from the Institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs Benedicta Adeola Ehanire and the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof. Clement Ighodaro proved abortive.

However, students of the Institution have kicked against the move by Management to sanction one of their colleagues over what they described as attempt to suppress and gag freedom of speech and information.

https://metrowatchxtra.com/2023/07/21/uniben-suspends-probes-student-after-article-against-school-fee-hike-metrowatch/

Lala Seun Mynd4

Thoughts?

Ok

If you talk wahala, if you no talk gbese

Why must they suspend him for talking d truth' nigeria is just useless, people in power always abuse their powers.
And some people in one corner they think say this country go better

talented321:
Why must they suspend him for talking d truth' nigeria is just useless, people in power always abuse their powers.
And some people in one corner they think say this country go better

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. You run away in droves from your poverty stricken, bandit infested wastelands to other areas much better than yours, then start trying to correct the system, while completely ignoring the logs in your own eyes. Why is that so?

Werey where are u going?

thesicilian:

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. Why is that so?

Our higher institutions of learning are crippling the very spirit required to lead our nation towards progress. The current system demands compliance from students, discouraging them from questioning the state of the facilities or speaking out about dilapidated buildings on the verge of collapse. This stifles the voices of bright individuals like Adekunle Adebajo, who was removed as a student at UI for daring to address infrastructural issues in the university. Similarly, Kayode Bello, another promising student, was expelled from Nigeria law school, when he protested the state of learning facilities there or in the expulsion of Ojo Aderemi, the student union president who was rusticated because he demanded the school administration provide students their IDcards, which they paid for and in two sessions or more, they had not received what should ordinarily be renewed annually.

When we silence such important voices in our best institutions, we do a massive disservice to our society, as broken spirits cannot drive a nation forward. As a consequence, even the staff members of universities are unable to successfully negotiate for their welfare. Tragically, some talented professors, perhaps in UCH or LUTH or some teaching hospital lose their lives due to the lackluster behavior ingrained in a system, they have helped to sustain by being complicit or complacent.

The universities, once known for its intellectual prowess, have lost its way. The likes of Gani and Falana, who fearlessly stood up for justice, are no longer produced. Instead, we see a generation of students who merely seek graduation and join the unemployed lots or the underemployed lots or the exploited lots in the job market, or so they can leave the country and settle in comfortable neighborhoods abroad and yet they or their generations unborn come home to perish due to the issues they have been crippled at heart never to march towards or address.

Even the noble profession of law has been affected. Lawyers are warned to conform, lest they lose their livelihood and even face imprisonment. The NBA, which should protect its members have time and again failed to do, or failed to do so, like in Inibehe Effiong, leaving him imprisoned and without support to serve at the whim of a power drunk judge doing the bidding of a governor she owes her career progression to. If this is the fate of a member of the bar, what is your lots then?

The leaders in our universities, including the Vice-Chancellors, often attain their positions by showing similar servile behavior to powerful figures and incompetent bureaucrats. Aspiring for the role of Vice Chancellor becomes a risky endeavor if one dares to criticize the government that must approve their appointment.

ASUU itself appears to have become a group of cowards, as evidenced by the case of Romanus Egbonyi, an academic staff who went unpaid for years. When he lost his life due to frustration, ASUU refused to advocate on his behalf, claiming he was not a member of the union because they hadn't received his dues. How can that possibly be a criteria? And yet the zombies of his colleagues would later congregate at their chapel to mock the memory of one who had relieved them without reward and chosen to serve his country. Now, this attitude prevails in institutions across Nigeria, and continues to result in the eventual suffering and tragedy they are due by their mindset. The professors lacks electricity on campus and yet won’t support their students to make demands for electricity, rather they’ll again be complicit or complacent.

The situation of the Late Romanus Egbonyi has led some individuals to abandon their dignity and seek help from irresponsible civil servants and payroll officers just to survive. However, or however they succeed they become tools of the government, used to suppress dissent and become machineries of oppressions themselves. They justify lackluster and cannot negotiate to fix a crack in the foundation of a building that should collapse and destroy their staff offices and turn them into some lunch for death. They have no potable water, and yet, in some past, it’s these ones we have looked to, for directions.

Our nation is in a state of crisis, and our higher institutions of learning or generally our institutions are contributing to the problems we face. Take this as a clarion call to the universities that It is time to reevaluate our system and nurture a generation of students who can fearlessly lead us towards a brighter future.

A demand for accountability shouldn’t constitute a misconduct. It’s instead, the greatest misconduct and abuse of office, to rather than be accountable, intimidate those courageous enough to ask questions.

The Nigerian education system is corrupt

thesicilian:
You run away in droves from your....

It's no one's fault that you as a people are not that adventurous. It's not a bad thing either. We as Igbos are not nomads. We are adventurous by nature and we've owned our strength in that. Stop being envious and focus on using your desire to stay put to your advantage. Benin as a City is not for the faint-hearted and it is nice to see that an adventurer picked up on that strength👍

thesicilian:

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. You run away in droves from your poverty stricken, bandit infested wastelands to other areas much better than yours, then start trying to correct the system, while completely ignoring the logs in your own eyes. Why is that so?

this is how a better Nigeria will be achieved with idiots like this. Always bringing tribalism and religion into everything. Why can't you see Obinna as the Obinna that he is, as an individual and not as an Igbo or from the south east?
He should not talk on matters concerning a school he is a bona-fide student of just because he is igbo. From your comment it's very easy to know the region you're from, those that hardly criticise their government or politicians. That region that is devoid of progress except the ones done for them by the government.

The guy made a silly mistake by using his real picture for DP.

If you must talk about injustice in the system and u are somehow connected to the system, you do that incognito.

Ghost protocol

thesicilian:

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. You run away in droves from your poverty stricken, bandit infested wastelands to other areas much better than yours, then start trying to correct the system, while completely ignoring the logs in your own eyes. Why is that so?

You’re a fool, a big one , your family will not survive on the crumbs the oppressors trickle down to you

thesicilian:

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. You run away in droves from your poverty stricken, bandit infested wastelands to other areas much better than yours, then start trying to correct the system, while completely ignoring the logs in your own eyes. Why is that so?

Senseless talk

Why are u blinded with tribal

thesicilian:

If you want the country to get better, start with yourselves. We never see you people "talking d truth" about your states and region. You're always so focused on developing other places apart from your own. You run away in droves from your poverty stricken, bandit infested wastelands to other areas much better than yours, then start trying to correct the system, while completely ignoring the logs in your own eyes. Why is that so?

He asked for transparency and they've chosen not to graduate him?

That post barely had any traction in the first place. I wonder how the University got to see it.
I thought Salami was even one of the good ones but she's just as evil as the rest of them.

Well Nigeria na banana republic sha. Anything goes. Anybody hoping that thus country will ever get better dey fool themself

He should go there fearlessly but respectfully.

Intimidation...

Hmm

This country can't move forward with all this nonsense.
They won't graduate him just because he demanded transparency and accountability?

Moral lesson: Always make your social media accounts anonymous

😳😐

He was not rude, neither was he insultive.

He made a demand that normally, should be applauded.

Victimizing him on account of that is horrible.

No nation grows, that feeds on its best brains.