The management of the Niger Delta University (NDU), in Bayelsa State has announced that the school will resume normal academic activities from Monday, July 12, 2021.

 

It will be recalled that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo had ordered the indefinite closure of the school to quell unrest that arose from students protests.

 

The students embarked on a peaceful protest following the closure of the portal for school fees payment which meant that those who could not pay before then, were to repeat their level of study.

 

The students also rejected the directive of the university to wear certain uniforms on different days of the week and the price of such uniforms, saying it was a way to extort them.

 

Following this, the state government held a stakeholders meeting with the management and students of the university where it was unanimously agreed that the school fees portal be reopened.

 

At the end of the meeting, the Vice Chancellor told newsmen that the issues had been resolved and the school will reopen soon.

 

He encouraged students to pay their school fees in full, but noted that they would be prevented from writing second semester exams if their complete fees were not paid.

 

He added that the earlier ban on the Students’ Union Government has been lifted, and the idea of uniforms for students dropped, which were also causes of the unrest.

 

The Registrar, Mr. Benjamin Joffa, in a statement on Friday, July 9, gave the schedule for the systematic reopening of the school to commence from Monday July 12, with the resumption of postgraduate, pre-degree and part-time students.

 

The statement read,

“This is to inform the University Community that the Committee of Provosts and Deans (CPD) at it’s emergency meeting, on Friday July 9th 2021 considered the issue of the suspension of academic activities following the recent student’s unrest and decided as follows”.

 

The statement revealed that undergraduate students will resume on Monday July 19, and the 2019/2020 school fees payment/course registration portal will be reopened on the same day.

 

It was also stated that examinations for post graduate students will commence on Monday July 19, 2021.