Barely six months after its vice -chancellor, VC, was sacked based on the recommendations of a visitation panel, the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State is again engulfed in the trenches of crisis. The VC was removed over his inability to supply needed information about the university’s total population of staff and students, revenue and expenditure profile and liabilities: a move which was viewed by the government as indicative of a corrupt system.However, it is  currently the fury of the legislative arm of the government that is fuelling the fresh crisis. As it were two weeks ago, the Edo Assembly based on a petition over the termination of his appointment at the university  by Collins O Inegbedion, passed a resolution suspending both the registrar and bursar of the university without recourse to the governing council or the state ministry of education. It also directed the acting vice chancellor of the university to appear before it with members of the ad-hoc senior staff disciplinary committee, SSDC that looked into the Inegbedion case that led to his ouster. The Assembly rationalised its decision on a matter that should be considered an internal affair of a university on the explanation that the key officers needed to be out of the system for its committee on education to do a good job of investigating the petition. But many say that the action of the lawmakers is a prelude to sacking the duo since they were close to the former VC who was earlier relieved of his appointment in the earlier crisis. The University’s branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities SSANU on a protest at the university town faulted the decision of the state assembly in passing the controversial resolution ordering the suspension of the university’s registrar and bursar. The AAU-SSANU Chairman, Ekpoma branch, Comrade Etafia Dako told NEWSWORLD that by its action the Assembly has usurped the functions of the Governing Council which has such powers to discipline any staff on grounds of misconduct. He refered to Section 9 (a), (b) and (c) sub-section (2) of the Ambrose Alli University law 1999 as amended and added that “what is being done and being purported to be done is against Ambrose Alli University Law of 1990 as amended and against any known procedure in the university and as such we have resolved to employ any legal means to resist the illegality”. He noted that “We are also using this medium to appeal to well meaning Edo State indigenes and revered Traditional rulers to prevail on the state House of Assembly to stop meddling into the affairs of the University and concentrate on its primary assignment of law making for the good governance of Edo State”. Dako warned of dire consequences besides a legal redress if steps are not taken by relevant authorities to recall the suspended staff. In a similar vein the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities,ASUU Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma chapter, also threatened industrial action over what it described as ‘undue interference’ in the autonomy of the University by the Edo State House of Assembly. The association warned that the interference of the House committee on education was an attempt to politicise the disciplinary process of the university and added that such actions will be counter-productive.In a statement signed by the chairman , Dr. S Ighalo and A Omokhafe, secretary of the union, the university lecturers viewed the development as an assault on the much cherished university autonomy, wanton disregard for the governing council and the university authorities. Part of the statement read “ the congress of ASUU AAU Ekpoma met to discuss the issue and resolved to draw the attention of the public to the fact that the question about alleged illegal termination of appointment is a matter for the governing council of the university and, if need be, the court of law to adjudicate upon and not that of the House of Assembly.”Soon after she took office as acting vice chancellor of the university, Cordelia Agbebaku, a professor of law blamed poor communication between stakeholders for the unending crisis at AAU. She said “We humbly accept with apology one area in which the university did not do well in recent times. It is communication with the university’s students, staff and members of its environment. This gave rise to dangerous rumours and avoidable controversies”.One such controversy she said was that surrounding the funding of the institution, whereas records abound. In her words “The records available in the university indicate that Governor Oshiomhole led administration raised the monthly subvention to the university to N150 million and from N150 million to N210 million and recently to N215 million”. In addition, she said “in 2010, the governor assisted the university with a special intervention of not less than N410 million”.  She then pledged to work with the state government to re-position the university adding that during her tenure, the university will make effort to improve on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as do other universities across the country.But beyond all these ASUU thinks the university was heading for armageddon. The union had in the heat of the crisis that consumed the former VC blamed the perenial controversies surrounding the university on faulty governmnet policies rather than administrative challenges and attributed the lingering crisis to underfunding and students unrest because of the uncompromising standard of the state government.Ighalo, the ASUU chairman said “AAU has been a victim of gross under-funding for a very long time. The situation became worse with the present government of Edo State. While the administration persistently talks about its love for accountability, the universally accepted method of ascertaining accountability in a University has been frustrated by the same government by not releasing the reports of the various panels it set up i.e. visitation, financial audit and staff biometric audit.”He also said that “government had earlier hinged its development of the university on the release of these reports. The university is thus left with crippling financial problems. It has taken astute management on the part of the present university authority to keep the university afloat and to prevent industrial crisis resulting from inability to pay salaries”. He said “The university relies on school fess and bank overdrafts to pay salaries, a situation which does not augur well for the smooth running of the university.”The union said that the present management of the university must  work hard to prevent the university from total collapse. It passed a vote of implicit confidence on the management and urged the proprietor (government) to be alive to its responsibilities in AAU while advising lawmakers to mind their business. But will it?