Restore scrapped courses in MOUAU, students tell FG, NUC

In view of the decision of the Federal Government to scrap seven courses in the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State, students numbering over 300 recently urged the Federal Government through a protest to stop the policy of scrapping seven courses in the college.

President, Association of Management Science Students (AMSS) of the university, Mr. Uzoma Onuoha, expressed their dismay and disturbance over the news and urged the management of the college and the university authorities to quickly initiate steps toward the restoration of the courses.

Onuoha, who led the delegation to office of the Dean of the college, Professor John Ihendinihu, said students of the college were worried by the development, stating: “We appeal to you sir to ensure that something is done fast to restore the programmes”.

The students, who said they came to the Dean to know what the management of the college and university was doing to stop the policy, stated further: “We can never be violent or engage in any act that would bring shame to the university as we continue to express our dissatisfaction with the policy”.

Displaying placards some of which read: “Management programmes in MOUAU have been in existence since 2003”; “The scrapped management programmes were approved by relevant professional bodies” and “Restore our programme in JAMB brochure,” among others, the students pleaded with the Federal Government to rescind its decision.

While urging the protesters to remain calm and peaceful as they continued to agitate for the restoration of the programmes in the college, the dean disclosed that the college, together with the university management, was on top of the situation and hoped that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ihendinihu, who noted that the ministry had relaxed the measure in both Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUNAM) and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said the scrapped courses had even been restored in the current JAMB brochure for the two universities, stating that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development came up with the policy to scrap non-agricultural courses from the three universities of Agriculture in the country.

He said that the decision by the ministry to relax the measure in two out of the three affected institutions smacked of discrimination against MOUAU, stating that the university has set up a committee, with three professors from the college as members, which articulated the institution’s position paper.

While stating that the paper had been presented to the ministry, National Universities Commission and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ihendinihu later told newsmen that the offering of management sciences did not breach the Act that established the university.

According to him, the “Act provides for a tripod mandate of teaching, research and extension in agriculture as well as related/allied disciplines”, pointing out that MOUAU established six colleges for core-agricultural programmes and six other “complementary colleges” which include COLMAS to provide foundational courses in “related/allied disciplines.”

He said that the college had 6,735 regular and 4,196 part-time students as well as 172 members of staff and urged the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, to also order the immediate restoration of the scrapped COLMAS programmes, as was done for the other two universities in the country.

While stating that the policy would further worsen the fate of Abia indigenes seeking university admission, Ihendinihu said that the fate of students and staff members would be put to jeopardy if the policy was not reversed immediately, observing that Abia State was disadvantaged when compared with other states in the federation, in terms of the distribution of Federal Government-owned tertiary educational institutions, with only MOUAU in the state.

The scrapped courses in the university included Accounting, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Industrial Relations and Business Administration.

In view of the decision of the Federal Government to scrap seven courses in the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State, students numbering over 300, recently urged the Federal Government through a protest to stop the policy of scrapping seven courses in the college.

President, Association of Management Science Students (AMSS) of the university, Mr. Uzoma Onuoha, expressed their dismay and disturbance over the news and urged the management of the college and the university authorities to quickly initiate steps toward the restoration of the courses.

Onuoha, who led the delegation to office of the Dean of the college, Professor John Ihendinihu, said students of the college were worried by the development, stating: “We appeal to you sir to ensure that something is done fast to restore the programmes”.

The students, who said they came to the Dean to know what the management of the college and university was doing to stop the policy, stated further: “We can never be violent or engage in any act that would bring shame to the university as we continue to express our dissatisfaction with the policy”.

Displaying placards some of which read: “Management programmes in MOUAU have been in existence since 2003”; “The scrapped management programmes were approved by relevant professional bodies” and “Restore our programme in JAMB brochure,” among others, the students pleaded with the Federal Government to rescind its decision.

While urging the protesters to remain calm and peaceful as they continued to agitate for the restoration of the programmes in the college, the dean disclosed that the college, together with the university management, was on top of the situation and hoped that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ihendinihu, who noted that the ministry had relaxed the measure in both Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUNAM) and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said the scrapped courses had even been restored in the current JAMB brochure for the two universities, stating that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development came up with the policy to scrap non-agricultural courses from the three universities of Agriculture in the country.

He said that the decision by the ministry to relax the measure in two out of the three affected institutions smacked of discrimination against MOUAU, stating that the university has set up a committee, with three professors from the college as members, which articulated the institution’s position paper.

While stating that the paper had been presented to the ministry, National Universities Commission and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ihendinihu later told newsmen that the offering of management sciences did not breach the Act that established the university.

According to him, the “Act provides for a tripod mandate of teaching, research and extension in agriculture as well as related/allied disciplines”, pointing out that MOUAU established six colleges for core-agricultural programmes and six other “complementary colleges” which include COLMAS to provide foundational courses in “related/allied disciplines.”

He said that the college had 6,735 regular and 4,196 part-time students as well as 172 members of staff and urged the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, to also order the immediate restoration of the scrapped COLMAS programmes, as was done for the other two universities in the country.

While stating that the policy would further worsen the fate of Abia indigenes seeking university admission, Ihendinihu said that the fate of students and staff members would be put to jeopardy if the policy was not reversed immediately, observing that Abia State was disadvantaged when compared with other states in the federation, in terms of the distribution of Federal Government-owned tertiary educational institutions, with only MOUAU in the state.

The scrapped courses in the university included Accounting, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Industrial Relations and Business Administration.