The don also told our correspondent on Monday that the institution had designed a communication channel for students to report cases of sexual harassment and other unethical acts by lecturers.

The issue of sexual harassment has been recurring in Nigerian institutions with a survey conducted in 2018 by the World Bank Group’s Women revealing that 70 percent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria were sexually harassed in school.

According to the report, the main perpetrators are classmates and lecturers.

Though the Senate had in 2021 passed a bill that randy lecturers should be subject to 21 years imprisonment, most of the lecturers indicted and found guilty after the bill was passed were simply sacked

In 2022,  UNIABUJA, Obafemi Awolowo University, and some other institutions dismissed no fewer than four professors and 14 academics of various cadres on allegations bordering sexual misconduct.

Responding to our correspondent on UNIABUJA’s journey so far in the fight against sexual harassment, the VC said, “We expelled two members of the academic community. We collaborated with NGOs most of whom pursue sexual harassment matters.

“Recently, there was a major conference on campus where students came out to expose some of the things that have been happening on campus.

“Right now as I speak to you, every University of Abuja student can report or comment on a lecturer via their student portal. Every student has this. They can comment on whether a lecturer is doing well in class, does he attend class, so it’s not only sexual harassment alone.”

The VC added that the varsity council also recently approved that students could assess their lecturers.

The university accused the students, Cyprian Igwe and Olalekan Oladeru, of circulating a WhatsApp group message inviting other students for a meeting over the fee hike.

Igwe and Mr. Oladeru, both officials of the Students’ Union Government, completed their final-year second-semester examinations in April 2023 and were currently awaiting their results to proceed with the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme.

A document obtained revealed that the school recently increased the tuition fees by about 50 percent for the new session.

Following the hike, Igwe who is the SUG’s Director of Socials, in a WhatsApp message sighted by our correspondent, reportedly said, “Good evening house. We will be having a meeting tomorrow by 6:00 pm in regards to school fees, let’s know our way forward

Subsequently, the university, in a “rustication letter” sighted by our correspondent, dated May 26, 2023, and signed by the deputy registrar (academic) on behalf of the registrar, accused both Igwe and Oladeru, of circulating an “inciteful press release” capable of “jeopardising the peaceful and smooth conduct of academic activities in the university and a breach of the University Matriculation Oath”.

“By the powers conferred on the Vice Chancellor as contained in the University of Abuja Act, he on behalf of the Senate has directed your immediate rustication from the University. Accordingly, you are banned from all University Campuses pending the determination of the case,” the letter added.

However, in a fresh development, one of the affected students, Oladeru, who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday noted that the rustication letter had been recalled.

“The school wants us to return the letter that it was a mistake. It was supposed to be suspended, but after all the damages have been done, they’re now realising their mistakes. The school did injustice and should face the law.”

Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Dr Habib Yakoob, told our correspondent that the students were suspended contrary to the widely circulated letters and media reports.

Professor Na’Allah made this known in Abuja at the second anniversary of the partnership between the University of Abuja and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

According to a statement made available on Wednesday, The Vice Chancellor, who said the new academic programme was being jointly put in place by the University and ACCI as part of the gains from the partnership, said the move would also ensure the exploration of the vast mineral resources in UNIABUJA’s campus.

While the university is leveraging its abundant human and mineral resources to attract industries and investors to the campus, the Vice-Chancellor said students and academic staff would benefit massively from mineral exploration in practice and research.

On the readiness to commence Geology and Mining in the institution, the VC said a committee put in place by the University and ACCI was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the take-off of the programme.

“Our goal is from the 2022 / 2023 academic year, which will (be) April or May, that a new department of Geology and Mining will take-off in this our campus,” he said.

Speaking further, Professor Na’Allah commended ACCI for the partnership, saying the deal has recorded many success stories since coming into force.

He said some students of the University now undergo internships and Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme programme in industries under ACCI, adding that the two bodies have been working on strategic areas which will also benefit the country as a whole.

“There are so many other programmes we are looking at, and one of them is the agric park, the chamber and the University are working passionately on it and hope it will take off soon,” the VC said.

Professor Na’Allah said investors stand to gain a lot by coming to the University, which is located just 10 minutes away from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and about 25 minutes drive from Abuja Central business district, adding that the move to designate the UniAbuja as a free trade zone would also be a major boost for prospective investors.

“We have begun the process to turn the entire campus and declare it by Federal Government as an economic free zone,” the VC said.

On his part, the President of ACCI, Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, said the event underscored the importance of the partnership between the institutions and the achievements it has recorded.

Represented by Vice President of ACCI, Kolawole Owoka, Abubakar said, “Today’s occasion is aimed to celebrate the partnership of the two institutions, review activities of the year 2022, and discuss proposed activities for the forthcoming year.

“The relationship between the two institutions that has climaxed into a beautiful union started with the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in mid-2021 at the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room. The MoU allows both parties to prepare a skilled workforce, business, and educational institutions to preserve our nation’s competitiveness and economic strength in response to a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive world.

Na’Allah told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in New York that the university had introduced a policy on sex abuse on campus, which had been published.

The VC. who was on a two-day visit to US to meet with the University of Abuja Alumni Association, USA chapter, to solicit support for the institution, said, “Female students needed to be protected.”

According to him, the institution is committed to high moral standards and will not tolerate any act of misconduct perpetrated by its staff members against students.

He said, “I have dismissed two professors since I became the vice-chancellor. It tells you how we are serious about the issue of sexual harassment.

“We are collaborating with some non-governmental organisations, to make sure that it is not only us that are addressing this issue, but we have a strong partnership. We cannot allow the lives of our students to be destroyed because most of the abuses destroy the lives of their victims.”

The vice-chancellor added, “It was sad to see some lecturers, who are supposed to be protecting the female students, becoming one of their problems.”

The office had issued the query in its 2017 report, asking UNIABUJA to refund the N603m to the Consolidated Revenue Fund..

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIABUJA, AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, while responding to the query before the committee chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide, claimed that the IGR was inadequate to run the affairs of the institution.

Na’Allah said, “The peculiarity of the universities in Nigeria is clear and they do not have enough IGR to remit to the Consolidated Revenue Fund as adduced by the Auditor-General. The universities collect only third-party revenues from students. Revenues collected are for specific purposes such as union dues, ID card, medical fees, laboratory fees.Cost recovery concept is adopted by the university; that is, charges collected were used to pay for services rendered.For instance, ID card charges were used to process ID cards for students. These revenues are not enough for the purpose collected and, therefore, the capacity of the university to remit surplus is lacking.”

Urhoghide, who was represented by the Vice-Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, ordered a refund of N603m to the CRF.

The OAuGF’s query read, “The Federal Circular Reference No. BO/REV/12235/259/VII/201 dated November 11, 2011 issued by the Minister of Finance restricting expenditure on IGR to 75 per cent while 25 per cent is to be remitted to the CRF.During the review of financial records and documents, it was observed that the university generated the sum of N2,413,787,645.48 internally in 2016 and 2017. The yearly revenue generated internally was N1,463,097,604.13 in 2016 and N950,690,041.35 in 2017.Meanwhile, the university failed to remit 25 per cent of its IGR amounting to N603,446,911.37 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.Non-remittance of the IGR shows lack of control in the expenditure of public funds. Furthermore, funds for developmental purposes are tied down.The vice-chancellor is required to remit the sum of N603,446,911.37 being 25 per cent of IGR to the CRF immediately and forward evidence of remittance to my office for confirmation.”

The institution’s Head of Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, in a statement on Sunday, said the university’s Senate, after due diligence, approved the expulsion and rustication of the students.

According to Yakoob, five undergraduate students were rusticated for one academic session; three others rusticated for a semester, while three others had no case and were acquitted.

He said, “Among the undergraduate students expelled, 27 were in 400 Level; 19 in 300 Level, 16 in 200 Level, two students in 100 Level, while five others were in their 5th, 6th, and 7th sessions.

“The breakdown also shows that 47 of the expelled students were from Faculty of Science, 23 from Faculty of Management Sciences, 20 from Faculty of Social Sciences, while 10 others cut across various Faculties.”