By Gabriel Enogholase

…as NANS blames  govt for AAU tragedy
BENIN – A resolution relieving the Bursar, Mr. Ufua and the Registrar, Mrs Omole of Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma of their appointments has been adopted by the Edo State House of Assembly.

The resolution of the Legislature on Tuesday was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the report of the Joint Committees on Education and Public Accounts set up by the House to look into the activities of the two Principal Officers of the institution. It was considered by the Committee of the whole House.

According to the findings of the report of the Joint Committees on Education and Public Accounts, it said that both the Registrar and Bursar are incompetent and inefficient in the discharge of their statutory duties.

It added that the two principal officers could not provide proper books of account and clear statistics on the number of students in the institution.

The House in approving the joint recommendation of the committees adopted wholly the recommendation that the registrar and the bursar of AAU be relieved of their services forthwith.

Speaker of the House, Mr.  Uyi Igbe then directed that clean copies of the resolution be forwarded to the Governing Council of AAU and the Governor of the state for ratification.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has blamed Edo State Government for the collapse of a well that claimed the lives of two students of the institution, saying such has made mockery of the much touted performance of the government.

According to NANS President, Comrade Dauda Mohammed, it is saddening that in this modern age, a university of AAU’s status could still be made to use surface wells to supply the water needed by students.

It would be recalled that the students lost their lives when a well at the Kudirat Hostel in AAU caved in. The victims were immediately rescued and rushed to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, where two of the students were certified dead.

According to one of the survivors, Esther Akhibi, a 200 level student of Political Science, they had to fetch water from the well as the taps in the hostels had stopped running for a long time.

Continuing, Mohammed said “this sad occurrence is an indictment on the state government and has made mockery of its much touted performance. Revelations coming from the university after the sad occurrence has really exposed the non commitment of the state government to the welfare of the students of the university and commitment to the development of education.

”We hereby demand for adequate compensation for the families of the deceased who inevitably are at the receiving end of the pains that the negligence of the authorities has resulted to.”