The license for operation of all campuses of Madonna University (Okija and Elele), along side five other private universities was suspended by the Nigerian University Commission early July, 2012.
According to the commission, the suspension was aimed at correcting some abnormalities ongoing in these institutions as concerned with course accreditation, Students welfare, and so on. The efforts of the NUC however was misunderstood as managements of the affected institutions retorted to the media to claim that the NUC officials is against the schools.
Some students of Madonna University claimed that the NUC was interested in receiving bribes which their school management was not ready to pay. These false claims made the public misunderstood the good intent of the Commission to "right the wrongs" in the schools.
Thank God the NUC did not relent, they continued to press on the schools to improve on standards and now the students are benefiting. Below are the recent changes in Madonna University campuses.
1. No More Fines: Before now students pay fine for any offense or any act of stepping wrong against the rules or regulation. It was also rumoured that students pay fine for absence to church services, quarrel/fight with fellow students, etc. As it stands now, no more fine in Madonna University.
2. No more living under closed gate 24hrs: Before the intervention by NUC, Madonna University is like prison yard, students are under lock and key 24hrs of the day, depriving them of their freedom to right of expression. That has stopped! Thanks to NUC!
3. NO More Bank Charges: It was said that Students of this school spend unnecessarily in the school community bank, an amount not paid to banks as commission in any university campus in Nigeria. It was only in Madonna that the amount of Bank Charges payable is proportional to the amount being paid by the student. For instance, A fee of N1000 attracts bank charge of N200, N5000 attracts N400, etc.
Also a popular woman that is part of the students problems in the Elele campus of the university identified as Aunty Philo has been removed. Every student of this school should know about Aunty Philo.
The Nigerian Students express their gratitude to the management of the NUC for such rescue operation in Madonna. The students pray and hope you visit more schools to restore normality.
Below is a text message being shared and spread by Madonna Students as a sign of Joy for their aclaimed freedom. Read text in quote below:
"Ds r my wishes 4 u:
May ur ways b opened & useful as madonna main gate.
Wateva challenge u faze ll b brought low as aunty philo.
Wat makes u financially broke shall b outlawed as bankcharge & may heaven intervene in ur case as nuc & fill u wt joy as a madonite.dats d current situatn of fins naw in skul, enjoy"
If you love freedom of students in schools in Nigeria, share this with friends and say no to students imprisonment!