Friday, March 29, 2024

Student petitions Minister, NUC, IGP over alleged admission scandal by Ebonyi varsity

BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI

A prospective student of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Edwin Nwigwe, has accused the institution of complicity in admission fraud.

Nwigwe consequently petitioned the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspector General of Police and the National Universities Commission, alleging that the university replaced his name with that of another student.

In an interview with The Point, Nwigwe said that he was offered admission in the 2020/2021 academic year to study Business Education with EBSU/2020/107872 as his registration number but after payment of the required fees, he officially deferred the admission till the next academic year for some personal reasons.

However, when he returned to the school to commence the programme, he was unable to register for the courses as he found out that his name was not on the university’s database and his registration number had been assigned to another student.

According to Nwigwe, all efforts at both the Admission Office and the Faculty to correct the error failed, hence, the petition to the concerned authorities for urgent intervention.

In the petition, dated September 20, 2022, which was copied to the Federal Minister for Education, NUC, IGP, the National Human Rights Commission and the Public Complaints Commission, entitled, ‘Fraudulent Admission Replacement: Save Our Soul,” Nwigwe demanded for N25 million compensation for the inconveniences the university allegedly caused him, failing which he said he should be readmitted into the school.

The petition reads, “I am writing with a painful heart to express my uttermost disappointment and dissatisfaction with Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki that tricked and defrauded me of the total official sum of N180,300 (One hundred and eighty thousand three hundred Naira) in the course of processing my admission with the university which ended with their replacement of my name and registration number with another student at the final publication of the successful list of students for the year 2020/2021.

“This is happening after the rigorous processes of securing (the admission) and paying N30,000 (Thirty thousand Naira) for acceptance of admission; N70,000 (Seventy thousand naira tuition fee; N60,000 (Sixty thousand Naira) development levy, among others both receipted and non through the assistance of my old and sick parent, who sold our farmland to sponsor me to the school.

“On this ground, I write to demand for justice from the university on why it denied me admission. I demand re-admission to join my 2020/2021 academic year or payment of N25 million (Twenty-five million Naira) as damages to enable me to further my studies elsewhere.”

Responding to the allegations, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Patrick Itumo, stated that the university was not aware of the case and blamed Nwigwe for running to the press without exhausting all remedial avenues.

“I am sure the University’s management is not aware of this ugly development. If all he said were true, that means there is a mix-up somewhere. But, he should have written to the management for prompt resolution and not just running to the press and demanding N25million (Twenty five million Naira) damages. The issue of press would have been necessary if the management fails to do the needful,” he said.

Itumo urged our correspondent to avail the admission seeker his phone number so that he (Nwigwe) could furnish the university management with evidence for quick resolution.

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