The management of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has endorsed the decision of its Senate to reopen the institution on October 3, 2016.
The Senate also directed that all students of the university, including postgraduate students, those on Industrial Training (IT) and the Farm Practical Year (FPY), should pay a reparation fee of N5,000 to cover replacement of private and public property worth millions of naira destroyed when students protested perennial robbery attacks on August 18, 2016.
The protest resulted in the burning of seven vehicles, a police post, vandalisation of the Divine Heights Bible Church, Abeokuta, and other properties.
A statement signed by the university’s Head, Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), Mrs Emi Alawode, noted that the crisis was well investigated and involved 13 sittings by the committee set up to investigate the unrest, during which it interacted with about 80 stakeholders for about nine hours daily.
The statement added that the decision to fine all students was as a result of difficulties determining the actual culprits.
The statement reads: “Since it is practically impossible to determine the real students that either participated or did not take part in the action, that warranted the payment of damages, the reparation fee is to serve as a deterrent against any future occurrence, while the rest of the funds would be used to enhance security facilities for the entire University community, over a period of time. To ensure transparency and accountability, the University Management would not be involved in the disbursement of the funds, as a special committee had been constituted, that would ensure that the reparation fee is judiciously utilised, while the amount to be paid to each claimant would depend on the degree of loss suffered.”
The Governing Council of the church has, however, said it would not accept money for repairs as it has forgiven the students for attacking the church, but it said owners of personal vehicles burnt within the church premises, should be compensated.
The statement also claimed that the President of the Students’ Union, Comrade Olusegun Nwenoye, said “the FUNAAB Students’ Union had no objection to the reparation fee”.
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