By Bada Abraham
In response to ongoing student protests against what they view as a tuition fee increase, Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma has taken the drastic measure of indefinitely shutting down the institution and suspending all academic activities. For approximately three days, students at the university had been engaged in protests, which not only disrupted academic operations but also resulted in the dissolution of the student union executive. Additionally, the 40th matriculation ceremony, originally scheduled to honor the late Professor Moses Isunu Aliemen, an esteemed economics professor, has been postponed indefinitely.
According to Daily Trust, the decision to close the university was conveyed through a memo signed by the Acting Registrar, Ambrose E. Odiase. The memo cited the necessity of suspending academic activities to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order, as well as ensuring the safety of lives and property within the university community and its environs. The memo further directed all students residing in on-campus hostels to vacate the Halls of Residence within the next twenty-four hours. It explicitly stated that no student should be seen in or around the Halls of Residence after 3 pm on September 5.
This shutdown reflects the severity of the situation, as the university administration grapples with the students’ grievances and aims to restore order before resuming academic activities.
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