Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has come under fire for underfunding and the plan to balkanize the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma. There are mounting complaints over accumulating unpaid salaries of staff of the university, paucity of funds to strengthen infrastructures in the institution, essentially, the school of medicine that was not been accredited because poor facilities. While these challenges persist, Governor Obaseki at the Education Policy Town Hall Meeting organised by the Ministry of Education, Benin City, Edo State on February 18, 2022, disclosed the intention to compound the existing problems of the university with his policy for the breakup of the university campus, to create satellite campuses in two other locations in the state while the main campus remains in Ekpoma.
A notable stakeholder from Esanland, Chief Patrick Agbator (JP), has berated Governor Obaseki over the planned balkanization of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, into a multi-campus institution in the state.
Governor Obaseki had at the Education Policy Town Hall Meeting indicated that the university would have three campuses in Oredo, and Owan federal constituencies while Ekpoma remains the main campus.
Chief Agbator had protested: “I condemn the attempt to bifurcate the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, into a multi-campus institution as a first step in a well latent and wider plan to close the university, citing unrest and other attendant reasons for the action as concerned stakeholders and students are likely to protest the unpopular policy which is at best retrogressive.”
He declared: “The Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma has been lying prostrate since the inception of the present administration in the state in November 2016 as the monthly subvention to the institution has been reduced drastically with the attendant negative multiplier effects on teaching, learning and research while salaries and other personal emoluments are now paid with discretion with the splitting of salaries of staff members, statutory deductions to professional unions and cooperative societies and other savings platforms of staff have been out rightly confiscated by the state government through the instruction’s authority.
“It is most unfortunate that the Edo State Governor has chosen to pay Esan people with the planned dismemberment of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma for the massive support Esan people gave him during the run up to the 2020 governorship election and for overwhelmingly voting him on the day of that election.
“I passionately appeal to the Governor to spare Edo State the needless expenditure that would be involved in the balkanization of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma into a multi-campus institution and channel the funds earmarked for the exercise into the university to provide needed equipment, pay staff outstanding salaries and personal emoluments, provide equipment for the accreditation of the faculty of medicine which has been withdrawn by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN for failure to provide the required equipment.
“I wish to call on all well-meaning Esan sons and daughters, friends of Esanland and her people, Edo people and Nigerians to prevail on Governor Godwin Obaseki to rescind his plans to balkanize Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and inject the needed funds into the institution to make it function ultimaly in accordance to the vision of the founder, the late Professor Ambrose Alli.”