Abuja based human rights activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians group, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, has blasted those accusing Baze University, Abuja, of selling degrees to prominent Nigerians.
Recall that the private University held its combined 7th and 8th convocation ceremony at the weekend in Abuja.
Senator representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Dino Melaye, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, and Dr. Adaora Umeoji, were among the high-profile graduands of the private University, who studied Law.
The social media went agog with many users congratulating the quartet while others expressed doubts about their class attendance even as few others accused the institution of selling degree certificates to rich Nigerians.
But Adeyanju, who is also a student of Baze University, in a press statement on Monday attested to the fact that Melaye, Ubah and others were regular in class during their undergraduate days at the University.
“It is also malicious to say the university sold degrees to them because they are politically exposed persons. I’m studying law at the university as well and I consistently saw Dino, Ifeanyi Ubah and others attending classes on numerous occasions throughout 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“Because we don’t like these politicians does not give us the right to cast aspersions on their character. The account of Osita Chidoka of how he survived the university is enough evidence of how stressful the university is. Only those close to the so-called VIPs and politically exposed persons can either confirm or deny the number of carryovers they had before they could graduate from the university.
“The perception out there that because the school fees of one semester at the university is N1.5million, therefore, the university is bourgeoisie society where money solves everything is another fallacy.
“Those who are in the university will attest to the fact that the more you show you are a big man in the university, the more carryovers you are likely to have. It is also wrong to assume that because some people are big men, they don’t attend classes. Few weeks ago, I got to school 10 minutes to a 9am class, only to find the current Minster of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi who is also studying law already in the corridor waiting for his lecture.
“I usually drive 25 minutes to school either from my house or office and most times I get to the lecture hall even before young students who stay on campus. Some of them usually walk into class 30-minute late after commencement of lectures. This may be because they are not the ones paying their school fees. The university is so stressful that lectures are usually from 9am-6pm Monday to Thursday and if you don’t have 70% attendance, you can’t write examinations,” Adeyanju said.
The activist, however, added that his “only criticism of the university will be left till when I graduate.”
