Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIBEN chapter and students of the university, on Tuesday, protested on the streets of Benin, condemning the demolition by the Edo State Government on Monday, of property given to UNIBEN by the government of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, including the official residence of the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin.
The state however claims it owns some 18 bungalows built by Chief S.O. Ogbemudia (former governor of Mid-West State), which currently houses senior lecturers, but the school management thinks otherwise as they described the demolition as illegal.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Henry Idahagbon, said, "We did not demolish UNIBEN property. We only took possession of Edo State Government property based on a court judgment of December 16, 2014."
The university and the state government have been in court for some years over the ownership of some property that is being used by the UNIBEN, with the state government maintaining that the properties belong to the state.
According to Professor Oshodin, who left his position as the vice chancellor of UNIBEN last November, thugs numbering over 2000 invaded some residential quarters belonging to UNIBEN at the Government Reservation Area of Benin on Monday night. The thugs were reported to have demolished parts of the 18 bungalows that house some senior lecturers of the institution.
The professor said, “They are 18 bungalows built by Chief S.O. Ogbemudia (former governor of Mid-West State). Ogbemudia has gone to court to testify that he built the houses and gave them to the UNIBEN.”
“The thugs were over 2000. They ordered us to move out and said this was a tip of the iceberg. They said they will take over the Ekenhuan campus as well and that they were coming back because they were not finished with the houses. Books that I have been keeping since I was in the primary schools were destroyed,” he explained.
The demolition exercise immediately sparked protests among lecturers and other staff of the university, who protested to some parts of the Benin metropolis. Chairman of ASSU, UNIBEN chapter, Dr Anthony Monye, who spoke with journalists, said it was shocking that the state government took the action even when authorities of the university had appealed a court judgment that gave ownership of the disputed properties to the Edo State government and had secured a stay of execution order.
However, the Edo State government, through its Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Henry Idahagbon, in reaction to the issue said the state government was only taking possession of its property.
“We didn’t demolish their property. What we did was to take possession in pursuance of the judgment of a competent court delivered since the December 16. We are not obliged to give them notice of a court judgment, where they have a Senior Advocate.”
“The case was that the place was given to them by General Ogbemudia, when he was a military governor. They did not have any document to back up their claims. They canvassed five issues before the court and they lost on all five issues. The court said they should deliver forthwith. After three weeks, it was clear they were not prepared to give up possession. I challenge them to show evidence of an appeal and proof of service. They did not serve us any court process. We acted in accordance with the law.”
“Thugs do not enforce court judgment. Edo State Government does not deal with thugs. We used principal officers of other arms of government. UNIBEN VC and its management should know that they are not a government and they are not a law onto themselves,” he said.
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