Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday, protested over 300 percent school fees increment at the Edo State owned Ambrose Alli University, (AAU) Ekpoma.
The students’ national body, while at the premises of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, demanded the reversal of the over three hundred percent school fees increment, the sack of the Special Intervention Team(SIT), which tenure is said to expire on the 24th of June, 2023.
They also demanded the sack of the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University.Prof Sonnie Adagbonyin.
Speaking, NANS,Vice President, Intercampus Affairs, Comrade Vanessa Egheahie, said the Edo State Government should revert to the old fees paid by the students before the new increment or NANS would move its headquarters to AAU to enforce the reversal as students from poor parents cannot afford to go to school with the new charges.
She said the new charges make AAU the most expensive public university in Nigeria, as law students are expected to cough out 741,5000 as against 185,000 while medical science students are to pay 638,000 as against 216 for new students.
“We are angry because the Edo State Government and the AAU Special Intervention Team (SIT) have increased the school fees for AAU students with over three hundred and sixty percent , those who have right to increase fees are those who have worked to improve the infrastructure in the school.
“It is quite unfortunate that the state government has increased these fees making it impossible for poor people to go to school.
“What the management of the school is telling us, is that, before a salary earner in Edo State with just a child who wants his child to study law would have to work for 23 months before he can pay 100 level school fees for his child.
“It is not possible, remember that Edo is 78 percent civil service state.
“How can children of traders, civil servants and other low income earners pay this kind of school fees? Edo state government has told us that they have low education policy and they don’t care if we end on the street.”
She also, said that the SIT, whose tenure is to end on the 24th of June, 2023 has failed in its responsibility of managing and helping the institution to sort for funds and should be sacked by the state government.
“The Special Intervention Team(SIT) has failed in its responsibility and we also have the Acting Vice Chancellor that is threatening students that if they cannot pay, they should look for universities that are cheap.
“We keep bragging that we are EdoBEST, this is Edo Nonsense. I want to beg our parents not to pay any charges or dues come Monday. We demand the sack of the SIT and the Acting Vice Chancellor .” She said
Also, speaking, the Secretary General, NANS Zone B, Comrade Isaac Ogieva, said when the fee was increased, they went to the school management and pleaded that they should consider the poor ones in school who are the ones sponsoring their education.
“When this fee was increased,we went to them and pleaded that they should consider the poor ones as many students are the ones sponsoring their education and cannot afford these exorbitant fees.
“When, after school, you will not even get a job. Where do you expect a poor parent to bring 700,000 or 600,000 at the case maybe to pay school fees?” He asked.