By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
Parents of students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUA), Umudike, Umuahia have commended the federal government for setting up committees to investigate some federal owned tertiary institutions.
They said the committees are timely to stop the institutions caving in under the weight of unethical practices and financial recklessness.
A statement issued by MOUA Parents’ Association, signed by Obinna Nwosu (chairman) and Tony Okoro (secretary), expressed regret that some vice chancellors have elevated themselves into tin gods and run the institutions like personal fiefdoms.
According to them, matters are made worse in some institutions by the brazen usurpation of the duties of governing councils by vice chancellors, thus rendering the system ineffective.
They lamented that their petition to the MOUA governing council over the excesses and recklessness of the management was largely ignored, and urged Abuja to monitor federal institutions before the absurdities get out of control.
“When we openly demonstrated against the academic and financial fraud in the university, the management arrested some of us and tortured us in their secret chambers until the police rescued us.
“Some of the scandalous activities we complained against have been thriving since then,” the statement added.
The parents said they were forced to take their grievances to the National Assembly (NASS) when it became clear that MOUA Vice Chancellor, Hillary Edeoga, would not see reason.
“We will appear before the Senate … to defend our petition against Edeoga because our children have really suffered under this man who has compromised the standard of education.”
They described the “skewed and predetermined selection of a preferred candidate as the next vice chancellor by … Edeoga as the greatest academic fraud to be visited on the university.”
They also lamented that their wards have lost so many years as their courses are not accredited whereas the university deceived them to believe otherwise.
They urged Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, to ensure the committees are thorough but beyond reproach in their assignments.
The parents pledged to provide documents that would aid the probe.
