The National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone, and the National Association of University Students have said Atiba University, Oyo State, will refund tuition fees to Law students who wish to withdraw from the institution following the 10-year moratorium imposed on its Law programme.

The student bodies disclosed this in a resolution issued after a meeting with the university management on Wednesday to address the challenges facing students of the institution’s Law programme.

According to the resolution signed by the NANS South-West Deputy Coordinator, Ridwan A.O.A., and the Chairman of NAUS CMC, Oyo State, Salam Waris Abioye, students seeking refunds would receive their payments within two weeks.

“Students who wish to withdraw and seek a refund of their tuition fees will receive their payments within two weeks,” the resolution stated.

The groups also disclosed that affected students would be given opportunities to transfer to other universities, with three institutions indicating their readiness to accommodate them.

“Two universities have officially indicated their readiness to accommodate affected students in 100 and 200 levels through transfer, while one institution has expressed readiness to accommodate students across all levels, subject to the availability of accommodation.”

They added that the transfer process was expected to commence, with affected students expected to resume at the respective institutions within two months.

For students who intend to continue their legal education, NANS and NAUS said the university had made arrangements for them to pursue a pathway to the Nigerian Law School after completing their National Youth Service Corps programme.

“Students who intend to proceed to the Nigerian Law School have been advised to proceed with their NYSC exercise, as the University has liaised with another institution to create a pathway for them to subsequently proceed to Law School after their NYSC.”

The groups also said students requiring academic transcripts should submit their requests immediately, adding that the university had assured that the documents would be processed and sent without delay.

They further said students experiencing problems with their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board admission letters should submit their details for the university to begin resolving the issues.

Students who wish to remain at Atiba University but change their courses, according to the resolution, would also be accommodated.

The intervention followed the Council of Legal Education’s decision to impose a 10-year moratorium on Atiba University’s Law programme over deficiencies in facilities and alleged violations of regulations governing legal education.

The CLE said the university’s facilities were “inappropriate and inadequate” for the establishment and operation of a Faculty of Law and accused the institution of admitting and graduating students without obtaining the requisite approval.

The decision had triggered concerns among affected students and parents, some of whom called for government intervention and the transfer of students to accredited institutions.

NANS and NAUS said they would continue to monitor the implementation of the agreements reached with the university.

“NANS and NAUS will continue to closely monitor and follow up on every agreement reached to ensure that all commitments are fulfilled within the timelines agreed upon.”

They said the welfare and academic future of the affected students remained their priority.