The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Ndowa Lale, has said the recent protest by students of the institution is nothing but a means of them not wanting to sit for exams. Lale also stated that, he is aware that some people want him out of office and had also used the same opportunity to sponsor students so that the protest might lead him out.
“I understand that some of them (protesters) are in touch with some other people who for whatever reasons want me, the VC, out of office. Therefore, they think that if they do this protest that the vice-chancellor would be removed from office.”
The VC also stated that the protest had nothing to do with increase in school fees or the ‘No fees, no exam’ policy but that the protest was an act by students, who wanted to be certified without sitting for any examinations.
“I have just stayed nine months, during this period and I have not contemplated or dreamt of increasing any payment by a kobo.
“The students know it, but because they want to score cheap points, they are misleading the public. UNIPORT students want to acquire degrees without writing exams. If such schools existed, I would have attended because I sat for exams in all the schools I attended.
“Last semester, we also went through tough times in order to ensure that the students sit for exams and they wanted to go on rampage. This time it is standard practice that students must register to be bonafide members of a school; that is all we asked them to do,” he said.