Source: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=164588
The Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu has directed the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nuskka (UNN) to explain, within the next 36 hours, the crisis that led to the closure of the university at the weekend.
The minister could not be reached when THISDAY sought his views on the closure, but his Special Assistant, Kelechi Igwe confirmed the directive, saying this was without prejudice to the autonomy granted the universities. “Councils must be in firm control of their institutions and do all to avoid a crisis”, he said.
According to him, the minister was not happy at the closure, bearing in mind that lectures were suspended for the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) hosted by the university last year and this was soon followed by the four-month strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He expressed hope that normalcy would soon return to the institution as “the students have suffered enough.” UNN was shut down, following the alleged vandalisation of property, including the temporary residence of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barth Okolo and some senior staff by students protesting a new fees regime introduced by the university.
While sources said the school fees was increased from N25,000 to N70,000, acceptance fee from N6,000 to N25,000 and convocation fees from N6,000 to N35,000; the Vice Chancellor denied any increment in school fees, saying the students, who were involved in the rampage were used by some elements in the university community to cause disorder.
