Five students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) who were suspended for their alleged plans to disrupt the university’s 43rd convocation ceremony have reportedly rejected the vice chancellor’s conditional pardon. The five suspended students, Ogbidi Osamudiamen, Justus Aidenagbon and Innocent Ehizua were suspended for two semesters while Benjamin Majekodunmi and Goodnews Ehiabi got four semesters.
The students who were also barred from holding any political office on the campus remain unrepentant and thus refused to apologise to the management as directed by the VC.
Vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Faraday Orumwense had asked the affected students to tender an apology letter to the school management before they could be recalled but the students turned down the offer.
The SUG president, Osamudiamen and his colleagues had protested in November 2017 over a hike in tuition, an action the management alleged was meant to disrupt its 43rd convocation ceremony.
Meanwhile, Edo Forum of Patriots has appealed to the management of the university to recall the students saying the students’ suspension could destroy their future.
“The whole story is centred around what can be termed our stubbornness for not agreeing with the management on the increment in the tuition fee in the university. And the only way they thought they could punish us is to rusticate the five of us, the SUG members who are trying to defend other students.
“‘So they suspended us and since they made the decision, there has been clamour that we should be recalled, it was at this point that the management said that before they recall us we have to apologise, but we told them that we could not apologise, because if we do, it means we had done something wrong and by implication, it means we are guilty of whatever they accuse us of,” Osamudiamen said.
Benjamin Majekodunmi on his part, said the management was trying to push them to a dangerous corner by demanding for an apology.
“An apology is an admittance of guilt and an expression of remorse. How can we apologise for exercising our constitutional rights to peaceful protest against the management’s unfavourable and anti-masses policy? By demanding an apology, the management is only finding a way to push us into a very dangerous corner,” he said.
Following the suspension of the students, there have been calls from Nigerians for their unconditional reinstatement.
The National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) has kicked against the suspension of the five students.
The student’s association led by its president, Comrade Aruna Kadiri, has protested at the university, demanding the unconditional reinstatement of the five students.
