A peace deal appears to have come out of the crisis ridden Benue State University, Makurdi at the end of a meeting of Parent/Stakeholders Interactive Forum in the week. Highlight of the decisions taken by the forum is the marching order to the university management to seek additional funding from Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as well as those it referred to as well-meaning individuals. Parents with what the forum calls genuine financial challenges are to come forward with their wards and sign an undertaking before the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) to enable their wards write the examination before payment of the required User Charges. Parents also agreed to, henceforth, monitor their wards closely to ensure that they adhere strictly to registration procedures and guidelines.
The communiqué signed by leaders representing various interests in the forum viz Hon. Keziah Agundu Chairperson; Mr. Gabriel Akaayar Labeh, Member; Comr. Yandela Emmanuel Terwase, Member; Mr. Terzungwe Tser Vanger, Member and Comrade Nicholas Oche, Member/Secretary resolved, amongst others, upheld the decision of Senate closing the university and, therefore, the vacation of the hostels by all students residing in them with immediate effect. All students who have not registered for the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic session must complete that within two (2) weeks from Monday, February 19th, 2018 to March 5th, 2018. Thereafter, all registered students of the university will continue with the second semester examination.
The university Management shall, on its part, critically look into allegations of extortion by some staff of the university which is said to account for the inability of some students to pay their User Charges properly. Management shall also ensure that a comprehensive list of all registered students is made public as soon as registration closes. Timely release of examination results to enable students know their academic standing is also part of the agreements. Meanwhile, the Parent/Stakeholders Interactive Forum has been adopted as a regular feature of University Management.
Second semester examinations for the 2016/2017 academic session were disrupted by students on Friday, 16th February, 2018 in protestation of a “No Registration, No Examination’ policy by the university management. The communiqué is the outcome of a forum of parents and management on the way forward in the crisis. Intervention learnt that the forum was briefed by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council as well as the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zacharys Anger Gundu and Professor Msugh Moses Kembe, respectively.
