ATIBA UNIVERSITY OFFERS TRANSFER, REFUND OPTIONS TO STUDENTS AFTER LAW PROGRAMME SANCTION

Atiba University, Oyo State, has announced measures to support students affected by the 10-year moratorium imposed on its Law programme by the Council of Legal Education.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Okeniyi, said affected students would be given options including transferring to other institutions, obtaining refunds of their tuition fees or collecting their academic transcripts to continue their studies elsewhere.

Okeniyi disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting between the university management and students affected by the regulatory decision. He said the institution had already compiled the names and academic levels of the affected students for submission to the Council of Legal Education.

The Vice-Chancellor said the university had also documented the concerns raised by the students, particularly their requests for refunds and assistance with transferring to other universities. He assured them that the institution would work to ensure that their academic progress was not adversely affected by the development.

Students who choose to withdraw from the university will be able to seek refunds of their tuition fees, while those who prefer to continue studying elsewhere will be assisted with obtaining their transcripts and pursuing transfers.

The development follows the Council of Legal Education’s decision to place Atiba University’s Law programme under a 10-year moratorium. The council said the decision followed findings that the university’s facilities were inadequate for operating a Faculty of Law and that the institution had admitted and graduated students without obtaining the required approval.

The CLE said the moratorium was imposed as a regulatory measure to compel compliance with prescribed standards and protect the quality and integrity of legal education in Nigeria.

The sanction has raised concerns among students currently enrolled in the programme, particularly those who have already spent several years pursuing their degrees and may now have to consider alternative arrangements.

Atiba University’s management is therefore expected to work with the relevant authorities to determine how affected students can be transferred or otherwise supported, while those seeking refunds will be processed according to the university’s stated commitment.

The university’s latest position is aimed at providing immediate options for students caught up in the regulatory dispute and preventing the CLE’s decision from bringing their academic plans to an abrupt end.