By Uyi-Omon Albert, Benin – City
Some students of the University of Benin, Benin-City, Edo state have cried out over what they term as injustice being meted out to them by the authorities concerning their examinations.
According to the students that cut across different Faculties and departments who decided to speak under conditions of anonymousity to our investigative journalist, “Many of us are doomed to carry over many courses we wrote, while others may lose outrightly a complete academic session due to no fault of ours”
In a petition written by some affected students titled; “We Did Everything Right, Yet We Were Marked Absent” they claimed ; “There is a growing sense of frustration, confusion, and subdued anger among several students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
” This is not about laziness, negligence, or academic misconduct. It is about something far more troubling — being marked ABSENT (ABS) in courses where students were present, participated actively, and fulfilled all academic requirements.
” Many of us chose to remain anonymous, not out of fear, but out of exhaustion. Exhaustion from repeating the same complaints, submitting the same evidence, and receiving the same vague assurances — “it is being worked on.”
They further asked, “But what happens when “being worked on” turns into silence?
” We Followed Every Instruction”
They alleged that the affected students were not individuals who skipped lectures or ignored academic responsibilities. “On the contrary, we:
Attended lectures consistently,
Signed attendance sheets as required,
Participated in continuous assessments and tests.
“We Submitted assignments as at when due, sat for examinations physically in exam halls, followed every instruction carefully.
” We filled our details correctly, shaded our answers accurately, and submitted our scripts like every other student.
There was no confusion. No absence. No mistake — at least, none from our side”
Then Came the Shock: ABS
Results were released, and instead of grades, we were met with the cold, dismissive label: ABS. (Absent).
” A word that erases effort. A word that implies negligence. A word that, in this case, is simply not true.
The Endless Cycle of “It’s Being Worked On”
Immediately, students began reporting the issue to course advisers, lecturers, and departmental offices. Evidence was presented — attendance records, test scripts, and even testimonies from classmates.
The response was almost always the same:
“Don’t worry, it’s being worked on.
“Weeks turned into months. Follow-ups were made. Reminders were sent. Visits to offices became routine.
*Then came the second shock.
Instead of resolution, students were told:
“You may have to write it as a carryover.”*
” From Errors to Punishment
This is where the real injustice lies. A student who: attended classes,
Wrote tests
Submitted assignments
Sat for exams
…is now being asked to retake the course as though they failed to show up.
“This is not just an administrative error — it is a system failure that shifts the burden of correction onto the victim.
The Emotional and Academic Impact
The consequences go beyond inconvenience:
Delayed graduation timelines
Emotional stress and anxiety.
Financial strain from extra semesters
Loss of trust in the academic system
For many students, this is not just about a grade — it is about fairness, accountability”
What Are We Asking
The students said in the statement that;
“We are not asking for favors. We are asking for justice.
We ask that Proper investigations be conducted into ABS-related cases
Verified errors be corrected without forcing students into carryovers.
Transparent communication be established between staff and students
Systems be improved to prevent recurrence” A call to be heard.
” This issue affects more students than is publicly acknowledged. Many have chosen silence, believing nothing will change. But silence only allows the problem to persist.
We hope this brings attention to what is happening behind closed doors — in offices, in departments, and in the lives of students who did everything right”
*We were not absent.
*We were there.
*We are still here.
*We deserve to be acknowledged.
All efforts to speak with the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Bright Omoruyi proved abortive as he did not pick several calls made to his personal number.