Campaign
to Save ESUT
Enugu State
University of Science and
Technology,
Enugu.
28
February, 2012
His
Excellency
The
Governor of Enugu State
His
Excellency
EXPULSION OF 544 ESUT STUDENTS: A Breach of
Due Process
We wish to bring to the attention of His
Excellency, the Governor of Enugu State of the sordid expulsion of 544 students
of Enugu State
University of Science &
Technology, Enugu
on allegations that their admission was illegal.
Sir, the expulsion of the 544 students by
ESUT senate without giving any of them the opportunity to answer to the
allegations that their admissions were improper or illegal offends a major
kernel of our laws and the constitution – which is the right to fair hearing.
None of the students was allowed to exercise the constitutionally guaranteed
right to fair hearing. None of them was actually heard by the university
authorities, who just proceeded to list their names, registration numbers and
departments with the contradictory instruction that they must not be seen in
the ESUT premises but that they should lodge whatever complaints they have with
the Dean of Students Affairs. How can they take their complaints to the Dean of
Students Affairs when the same circular made clear directives barring them from
the school premises?
Sir, our investigations show succinctly that
many of the affected students have their names in the admission lists in the
departments, and indeed all the students have matriculation numbers of ESUT,
and ESUT duly accepted all the school fees they paid into ESUT accounts in
their first year and in subsequent years. How did the students get their
matriculation (registration) numbers? Which staff in the admissions office
issued them with such numbers without the requisite checks to ensure their
names were in the authentic admission lists?
If there are illegal or fake ESUT websites
that had existed since 2008, who is behind such fake ESUT websites? What have
the authorities of ESUT done since 2008 to ensure the closure of such illegal
or fake ESUT websites?
Sir, it is doubtful of the authenticity and
integrity of the lists of the so-called illegal students, giving the woeful
failures of the Registry in documentation and record keeping as we elucidated
in the copy letter to you yesterday.
Sir, the deplorable state of the university
administration, has made it impossible for the affected 544 students, many of
them whom have complained to the Dean of Students Affairs with photocopies of
relevant documents to prove the genuineness of their admissions to receive any
feedback on the status of their complaints. All they have been told is that
their complaints are being investigated. How long will it take to do that kind
of investigation? Some of these students are in their final years and since the
publication of their names had been subjected to incalculable traumatic and
humiliating experience. These unwarranted traumas can cause mental derangement
of some of these students. A quick and decisive redress of this quagmire is
therefore imperative.
We therefore appeal to your authority as the
Visitor of our institution to do the following acts:
1. Cause a reversal of the illegal expulsion of the 544
students of ESUT without the due process of the Nigerian legal system.
2. Cause the university
to institute a credible feedback mechanism for students and others who have
genuine problems to receive answers or solution to their problems.
God bless ESUT
CC
Hon Commission for Education
Vice Chancellor, ESUT
Registrar, ESUT
ASUU, ESUT
SSANU, ESUT
NASU, ESUT
Student Union, ESUT
Ohaneze Ndigbo
The Clergy:
His Lordship, Bishop E.O. Chukwuma
His Lordship, Bishop C.V.C.
Onaga
Msgr Obiora Ike
ESUT Governing Council
University Community
The General Public
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