On May 24, 2019 students of Caleb University went on rampage over what they described as excessive law of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Professor Nosa Owens Ibie. At the early hour of the Friday morning, some of the students who could no longer bear the stringent law introduced to them took to the school premises to demand for a repel of the law. In the process of their peaceful demonstration, it was reported that policemen stationed around the school threw tear gas at them. An act which infuriated the students and prompted them to scream aloud for help. They believe that the Vice Chancellor is here to treat them like inmates.
Some of the students who spoke with our reporters alleged that the university atmosphere became suddenly tensed since the advent of the new Vice Chancellor, Professor Nosa Owens Ibie. They were shocked by the excessiveness of Professor Owens who treated the students like people without human Will and expect them to remain docile. The situation culminated in the recent rules that all students must be in their hostels by 7 p.m. and on no account must a male student be seen around a female student once it clocks 6p.m. our reporters were not allowed into the university premises by the security men, however, intermittent ranting and chanting of protesting students could be heard from the school gate.
Staff of the institution leaving the school premises could be heard expressing their dissatisfaction over the harsh treatment of the private university students. Effort to reach the school Public Relations Officer proved abortive as the Assistant Chief Security Officer Mr. Bolaji made move to reach the PRO in vain. Other senior staff were not ready to address our reporter as they are either afraid to do so, or they were still in confused state over the rampage. After failure to provide the PRO’s phone number by the staff of the institution, our reporter left contacts for the spoke person to respond to the issue, no one has since then call from the institution.
It is the popular believe by many that private universities are the safest place to send a child to school in Nigeria, but the recent demonstration by students in some of the respected private universities is raising serious questions about the virtue of the private universities.