The Ekpoma Uprising

Governor Adam Oshiomhole of Edo State

Political intrigues trail the violent protest which engulfed the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma over astronomical increase in tuition fees
By Walid Ogunseri, Benin City
On Monday, February 15, 2010, Ekpoma Town, the administrative headquar ters of Esan West Local Government Council, and indeed the adjoining towns of Irrua and Iruekpen once, more came under siege inspired by students of the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
The students staged a violent protest against increase in tuition fees, as announced by the state government.
The protest was in disobedience to a circular purportedly issued by the institution’s Director of Studies. In the circular, pre-degree students were asked to pay N90,000, instead of N35,000, those in Faculty of Engineering and Technology are to pay N67,000, instead of the old rate of N19,000, while students in the Faculty of Education will pay N64,000, instead of the former N16,000. Diploma and Part-time students are to pay N100,000, as against the former N30,000.
During the protest, many vehicles including that of the chairman of Esan West Local Government Area of the state were reportedly smashed by the students.
They were also said to have burnt down some petrol station such as the one belonging to the Universitys, Cooperative Society, as well as damaged several business offices at Ekpoma town. Road users plying the Benin – Ekpoma – Abuja road had a horrifying experience contending with the situation, as the route was completely blocked by the rampaging students, forcing motorists to divert through Iruekpen, Sabongida Ora via Auchi to Abuja.
The police had a hectic time trying to contain the protest. The police, it was learnt, were asked not to fire at any of the protesting students, except in self-defence.
By the time the dust raised by the protest settled, no life was lost, except for two students who were said to have been shot and rushed to the Irrua Specialist Hospital.
As a result of the protest, the ongoing examinations by part – time students had to be postponed.  The protest also made many students and staff of the University to flee the campus. The head of the public relations of the university, Chris Adamaigbo, said the increase cuts across regular and part-time students, adding that the institution was in need of government’s intervention. He was, however, hopeful that the issue that led to the demonstration would be resolved amicably.
On her part, Dr. Ngozi Osareren, Edo State Commissioner for Education, said that only part-time student embarked on the demonstration. She denied that the management of the university increased school fees, stressing that the State Executive Council was yet to reach a conclusion on the issue of school fees, but that there was every possibility that the government would increase the fees. She also confirmed that the University’s Governing Council met four weeks ago and that the major issue raised at the meeting was school fees.
The violent protest of the students however drew criticisms from the main opposing party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Chief Dan Orbih, state chairman of the party condemned the increase and described it as a show of shame. “I think this is a shame to the state. It is an irony that a man that is engaged by the federal government to bring peace to ASUU and federal government has not been able to resolve the problem in the university in his state,” the PDP boss said.
He continued: “I am sad to receive the information that some students have been shot at by law enforcement agents just to bring peace to the university; this is a very sad day in the history of our state. This is a government that came into power promising heaven and earth but today the bursary award that was given out by the PDP government under Osunbor, which was then N66 million and the government was just on the verge of increasing it to N250 million to deserving students of Edo State, now, that bursary has since been removed. The state government has refused to pay deserving students of Edo State origin the bursary award that they were enjoying under the PDP government in Edo State. I pity the students of Edo State, but I believe all is not lost; they should join hands with the PDP to redeem the government of Edo State”.
Owere Dickson Imasogie, Edo south senatorial PDP chairman on his part said that the increase in school fees in Ambrose Alli University is uncalled for. The reason, he said, is that it will amount to undue denial of university education to some persons due to their economic and financial status, which in the long run will lead to a reduction in productive manpower.
He reasoned that there is need to compel the students to reason with the university authorities to go to the negotiation table and fashion out ways to make university education accessible to the people of the state.    
At the head of the protest were part-time students who were supposed to commence their semester examination that Monday.      
In fact, it was learnt that four weeks ago, the management of the university had risen from a council meeting with a resolution that there will be review in school fees.
But unknown to the Students Union Government, the authorities did not consult with certain strata of the university.
Although an informed source has it that the Student Union Government of the university, despite the tight schedule of the state governor tried to bring all the parties together to resolve the issue before some officers of the university came out with the controversial circular which was purportedly not authorised.
It was also learnt that certain elements, particularly politicians, instigated the students by using incitive words to push the students to resort to violence.
Although the battle over who will be the governor of Edo State come 2012 seems not to have started, the recent protest by students of Ambrose Alli University marked a turning point in the relationship between some PDP top shots nursing governorship ambition and Governor Adams Oshiomhole.   
It was further gathered that some politicians from the PDP who are nursing governorship ambition visited the wounded students at the hospital in Irrua, where they undertook to pay all their medical expenses. But the said politicians were later branded as the brains behind the protest.
For instance, Professor Julius Ihonvbere and Ken Imasuagbon, both governorship aspirants of the PDP were said to have visited the hospital at different times and proceeded to foot the bills of the wounded students. While Imasuagbon was reported to have denounced the astronomical increase in school fees, Ihonvbere was believed to have encouraged the students to fight for their rights.
In fact, when the executive members of the National Association of Edo State Students led by Comrade Theophilus Ibedeme paid a visit on Thursday, February 18 to the state governor to plead for reduction in tuition fees, the co-ordinator of the Part-time students of the University narrated how Ihonvbere came to their meeting to encourage them to fight for their rights at all times. “We have been having meetings on our own, on how to meet with the comrade – governor concerning the increment of our tuition fees. I don’t know how Professor Ihonvbere got the information, but he just strolled into our meeting and encouraged us that we should not relent but go ahead to fight for our rights. And during the process, those that were injured were taken to the hospital and he went there to foot the bill,” the co-ordinator stated.
Interestingly, the Students’ Union Government of Ambrose Alli University, in collaboration with the Part – time Students Association’s issue a rebutal of the co-ordinators were to claim.
In the statement, the Students Union Government stated that the protest embarked upon by the students was due to an astronomical increase in school fees by the constituted authority, and strongly refuted the story and press release published by some newspapers.
 The student body disclosed that some discredited, disgruntled, unscrupulous, shameless and hungry individuals who masqueraded themselves as students of Part-time issued the said statement, adding that: “The Student Union Government of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma denies these persons as students of the university.”
They urged the public to disregard the statement and publications, describing it as a calculated attempt to soil the name and image of Professor Ihonvbere.
Reports of the purported incitement of the students by Ihonvbere was published by some newspapers the next day, Friday, February 19.
That same morning Philip Shuaibu, the newly sworn-in majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, and Action Congress (AC) member, went on a programme on the Independent Television (ITV), while another member of the party, who is a Special Assistant on Education to the Governor also took his turn on ITV on Sunday, February 21 to make similar claims against Ihonvbere.
In a response, Ihonvbere stated in a text message sent to The Source: “Now, I know the government is desperate. Such act of desperation only weakens a government. I am too politically matured to do such a thing. What do I gain? A university that I have helped so much? The current administration of AAU is unfair and ungrateful.
“I visited students that were shot at the hospital after my meeting in Irrua and offered to pay their bills. I have a right to go anywhere and visit anyone in Edo State. The government is just jealous that people appreciated it. I know that the governor, with his record, would do same if he was on the other side. It was those that planned to increase fees that incited the students, not me. Any right thinking person would oppose astronomical fee increase. I do not incite students. Edo people know me well. I do not incite people to violence. I am an Ambassador of peace,” he stated.
Also rising in defence of Ihonvbere, the manager of Ihonvbere Foundation, Nathaniel Osamede in a statement made available to The Source categorically denied any association with the riots and part-time students, adding that Ihonvbere is too politically matured, experienced, disciplined and exposed to engage in such acts with part-time students knowing all the implications.
On Ihonvbere’s visit to Otivbokhan Specialist Hospital to see injured students and offer to pay their bills, Osamede said that the professor does not need the permission of anyone to visit any hospital in Nigeria to sympathise with poor children that were injured by the police, stressing that the professor briefly condemned public brutality and called on the Edo state government to have sensitivity and compassion and return to status quo ante.
Governor Oshiomhole, reacting to the violent protest, condemned the action of the students, saying that burning issues could be resolved through dialogue, rather than restorting to violence. Oshiomhole also lambasted politicians who take delight in inviting cameras to the hospitals to show how they pay money to treat students.