2nd Semester Exams:
Anarchy looms in IMSU as VC, Dean shot out students
…Activist, Students call on Gov Uzodinma to intercede
By Emeka Odoro
There were pandemonium, gnashing of teeth and tears in the Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri as students were not allowed to take their second semester examinations in the law faculty last Monday, even as the directives continued as at the time of filling this report.
It was alleged that the students affected were yet to regularise their admissions by the institution.
Information has it that, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze(SAN) in collaboration with the Dean, Faculty of Law, Professor Chimezie Kingsley Okorie(SAN) made sure that the students were not allowed to take the exams.
It was further gathered that most of the students have been paying their necessary fees and levies in the faculty since the commencement of their studies in the school since 2018 as the no exam order affected all the students from 100 level to 500 level. They were said to have been paying their Law Students Association (LAWSA) dues, Law Dinner dues, school fees among others.
A reliable source , who is a law student who may not want her in name in print, told our reporter that the Vice -Chancellor, Professor Chukwumaeze and Professor Okorie, once levied every law student the sum of N2000 each last semester for the repair of just 10 chairs that were spoit by unknown students in the faculty.
“Could you imagine, that Professor Chukwumaeze and the Dean, CK Okorie, levied every law student the sum of N2000 and we have have about 2100 students in the faculty.
“Chukwumaeze and Okorie have used their offices to frustrate most students in the institution and the Law Faculty respectively especially. That is why Chukwumaeze made sure that his boy ( Okorie) was appointed as the Dean of Faculty of Law an avenue they are allegdly using to extort students in many ways aimed at frustrating many out of school. I was further alleged that Chukwumaeze ‘s efforts was to pave way for his son, who is also a student in the law faculty.
“Chukwumaeze doesn’t want others to graduate and go to law school, but he wants his child to become a lawyer tomorrow”, the student who looked frustrated stressed.
Another student, queried the rationale of stopping students from taking exams when they will still return for their clearance. Why are they in a hurry to frustrate students, just to make them return to rewrite the courses as “Carry overs”? the student asked rhetorically, adding, the students may resort to protests to call the attention of the authorities to their plight.
Our reporter was informed that the Vice -Chancellor alleged, that, the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma was behind the ordeal being passed through by the students, saying, the Governor accused him of embezzling money from students through corrupt practices.
” What Chukwumaeze is doing is just to show-off, nothing more and his activities or actions are geared towards extorting more from the helpless students.
“I train myself in school as I am an orphan. It has not been easy for me studying law and working night shifts in a factory and doing other menial jobs on weekends and I am not the only one in this situation.
“It is only the Governor of Imo State that can come to our aide by calling Chukwumaeze and Okorie to order. This is not the right time to do this and everyone has been wondering what he wants to achieve by this flimsy policy”, he Stated.
A human rights activist, Comrade Barrister Emeka Ifeanyi has threatened to write to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to invite and investigate Chukwumaeze and Okorie over alleged extortion and stealing from students.
“What Chukwumaeze is doing is just to witch-hunt his predecessors. He should just open up the school portal for students to regularise their admissions with the school having been admitted earlier by Joint Admissions Matriculation Board(JAMB)” the artist pointed out.
It was learned that Some politicians like, the Deputy Governor, Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly and others in high offices have called the Vice- Chancellor to recind the decision and allow the students to sit for their exams pending when the institution’s portal will open for regularisation.
Barrister Ifeanyi called on the Governor and other religious bodies to call Chukwumaeze and Okorie to order before things get out hands.
Discussing with some lecturers in their offices including those in the faculty of law, they were of the same view that it was not in order for the Vice- Chancellor to wake up and take such decision without the majority being in support.
” The Vice- Chancellor vowed never to listen to any of the lecturers of the school who may wish to come to him or call him to intervene for any student, even if they person is the Governor of the state or President of the country, the lecturer , who is a Catholic stated.
Another lecturer who has been in the school management stated, “No right thinking person would appreciate that policy as it looks as if he is targeting some students and some staff of the University”, even as he recalled how the faculty of law frustrated a popular man of God out of the school as a result of jealousy.
Furthermore, some of the affected students claimed that they were charged between One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira ( N150,000) and Three Hundred Thousand Naira(N300,000) by the Imo State University for their admissions to be regularised, yet most of them were not allowed to write the second semester 2022/ 2023 exams.
The Faculty of Law,
it was gathered, admitted most of the students directly, pending the regularisation by the Institution.
All efforts made to speak with the Vice- Chancellor, Professor Chukwumaeze and the Dean, Faculty of Law were proved abortive as Chukwumaeze did not pick his calls, while Okorie told this reporter that he was in the high court on Tuesday for a matter and could not speak.
