The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FEES

  • UNIPORT stops students’graduation over fees

    UNIPORT stops students’graduation over fees

    Two years after they graduated, students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) are yet to get their certificates. They have also been prevented from going for the one-year mandatory National Youth Service. Why? The school claims the students defaulted in paying their fees. But the students disagreed, saying there was no payment deadline. GBENGA OJO (Petroleum Training Institute, Efurrun) reports.

    Many of the students did not see it coming. They were looking forward to their convocation and joining their colleagues from other universities for the National Youth Service.

    By the time they knew what was happening, no fewer than 1,000 students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) had been barred from graduating and going for service.

    The students blamed their fate on what they called “administrative incompetence” by the school in managing fee payment and information dissemination.

    Many 2015/2016  graduating students’ hope of being mobilised for the compulsory service has been dashed as the Bursary Department failed to clear them.The students, CAMPUSLIFE learnt, allegedly paid after the deadline lapsed.

    The students have been withdrawn and asked to enrol for another session. Their certificates are being withheld, despite the approval by the Senate. The only way out, according to the Director of Academic Planning, is for the defaulters to repeat a session.

    While most of the graduating students claimed they paid before their final examination, management said some affected students made the payment after October 4, 2016, indicating late payment.

    The school justified its action in a memo dated July 24, 2017, which reads: “The results of students who failed to pay their school charges for 2015/2016 session by the deadline (October 4, 2016) have been expunged from the 2015/2016 second semester results already approved by the Senate.”

    The students denied the knowledge of the memo. One of them, who did not want her name in print, said there was no deadline by the school on fee payment. If there was deadline, she said the management did not properly disseminate the information to students. She wondered why many students were affected if the information went round.

    She said: “We have graduated since 2016 and we don’t know why the school wants people to come back and repeat another session. While we were in school, there was no such information about the deadline for fee payment on the university website neither did they send bulk SMS like the way they always to do. We were not properly informed, if there was a deadline.

    “Director of Academics said we are to repeat another session, which means we will lose two years of our youthful age. This is after our results have been approved by the Senate, our names were published in the university convocation brochure and some of us have collected our certificates. This is not fair.”

    Another student, who gave his name as Kessy, told CAMPUSLIFE that each faculty issued forms to students, which they took to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre for clearance before they made payments to the dedicated bank.

    Kessy said: “We were told in our department that if we didn’t pay the school fee before the final examination, our results would not be sent to the school Senate for approval. A lot of us did make the payment before the examination. If the fee payment was late, why did the school issue receipt to us to confirm the payment?”

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that some of the affected students, who had collected their certificates, have their names removed from the list of students being mobilised for National Youths Service. Also, their certificates have been declared invalid.

    Most of the affected students are depressed. “I know of a colleague who is battling with stomach ulcer because when the school broke the news. She could not eat for days because she went through a lot of pains and hardship to keep herself in school. Now that she is to graduate peacefully, the school wants to delay her because of fee payment,” a student, who gave her name as Antonia, told CAMPUSLIFE.

    Most of the affected students blamed recession for their inability to pay on time. In the throes of the recession, the students wrote appeal letters to the management and Heads of department, pleading for more time.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Otu Ekpenyong, refused to speak on the development when contacted by CAMPUSLIFE.

    He directed our reporter to speak to the Director of Academic Planning, Dr. Ataga.

    When our reporter spoke to Ataga, she said: “I am not in position to talk to you on this issue. The university has a Public Relations Officer; you may wish to talk to the person. Besides, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) was on air last week to discuss the issue. The students broke the rules of the university and the Senate took decision based on the condition they gave the school to be reopened after that crisis.”

    In a memo issued last week, the school management said the affected students were being punished for secretly making payment after deadline lapsed. The memo said the defaulters took advantage of amnesty grantedthose who previously deferred their admission before the crisis.

    The memo reads: “Those that picked temporary withdrawal forms last year will not pay for the last year fee because they notified the school of their absence. But, those who did not will pay before deadline last year fee are advised to go back to their departments to answer their unresolved case and go back to classes.”

    It should be recalled that the problem started in 2016 when the portal for the fee payment on the university website was shut after the expiration of the deadline. It led to a peaceful protest last July when the school imposed “No School fees, No Examination” policy.The protest turned violent when security operative shot and killed a protester, Peter Oforum.

    It was gathered that the management refused to shift ground to extend the deadline for the payment but directed all affected students to pick up withdrawal forms, fill and sign for the deferment of their admission for a year. This affected several students across departments and faculties.

    Some of the affected graduating students who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE wondered why a memo that was released last July 24, should have retroactive effect on graduates who wrote their final examinations in November 2016.

    A graduating student said: “How did the school authorities convey the Senate decisions to the students? What method of communication did they use? This issue is really getting complicated. If there was a Senate decision, why was it not published on the school website? If this decision was taken in 2016, why did the same Senate approve our fee receipt to the point issuing certificate?

    “Our clearance form was duly signed by Bursary department; does it mean the Bursary department is working outside the school regulation? The university set up a monitoring team which scrutinised all receipts before mobilising students for National Youth Service. How come they approved our receipts and sent to Students’ Affairs Unit?”

    Another affected graduating student complained: “We went through a lot of stress to get our clearance, surcharge and all other charges paid. They allowed us to go through all the stages of clearance, gave us certificates, sent our names to the Directorate of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), allowed us to buy our kits and stuff, only for them to announce we cannot graduate.

    “I cannot imagine myself repeating a session. I have been crying since I heard the news. If I repeat a session, where will I get N45,000?”

  • College reduces fees

    THE  management of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos State, has reduced fees for its full-time Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) students.

    A statement made available to The Nation stated that the reduction was arrived at a meeting the institution’s management held with the Students’ Union (SU) executives.

    The statement, signed by the Registrar, Mr Shehu Abdulqadri Muhideen, stated that management of AOCOED agreed to the agitation by students for a reduced fee, after a meeting with SU executive late last month.

    The students kicked against an upward review of the fees, which was agreed between management and the Parents’ Forum last October.

    With effect from the 2017/2018 Academic Session, tuition for 100-level students on regular NCE programme, is N25,000 as against N28,000. The reduced fee  covers acceptance fee, administrative charges, ICT levy, biometric ID card, sports, medical, library and teaching practice (TP).

    Similarly, 200 and 300 level students would pay N15,000 as against the N18,000 earlier agreed upon at the Parents’Forum. The fee covers administrative, ICT, ID and card, among others.

    Other items, such as sports, medical and library, will attract no charge for 200 and 300 level undergraduates.

    T

  • Reviewed fees will stimulate better services, say surveyors

    The reviewed professional fee charged by surveyors in Lagos State will enhance quality service and professionalism.

    This was the position of the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), Lagos branch Chairman, Mr. Olufemi Odetunmibi, at the body’s 2017 annual workshop, last week in Lagos.

    “The essence of the reviewed fee is to ensure that surveyors render proper services to clients, because when the fee is not right, you can be sure that the service will not be right,” he explained.

    Odetunmibi, while welcoming participants to the workshop, themed: “Corporate business ethics: Repositioning surveying as an enterprise,” said the essence was to encourage members to be alive to their responsibilities.

    “Our members should have the mind-set that they must practice the profession within the ambit of the corporate profession. That will not increase our fees, but will allow the public to have value for their money,” he said.

    Odetunmibi called for an increased patronage of professional surveyors for sustainable development, urging the public to be proactive by getting quality services from his members in developing their property.

    He said although surveyors’ services where being utilised, it can be better as any major development should have the input of a surveyor, warning that people who short-circuit developments have themselves to blame at later dates.

    “If we are looking for sustainable development, then the people, who have the technical capability to do that should be carried along from the beginning. Even when it is completed, we should be carried along to ensure that it is sustained and not developed and left unattended to,” he observed.

    Odetunmibi noted that land administration would remain very important in the scheme of things; hence, he urged that the global approach should be closely monitored so surveyors could be active players in the way things are shaped. This, he said, is because prevailing events place greater responsibilities on private survey practitioners to reposition the practice of surveying.

    “Anytime you see any infrastructural decay, find out if any registered surveyor is involved; most times, you find that our people are not fully involved in the foundation and we are asking that this should change. Surveyors, especially those in private practice, have contributed a lot to economic growth by ensuring that proper foundation was always laid,” Odetunmibi said.

    The guest lecturer and Managing Partner of Sanya Alabi and Co., Mr. Julius Olusanya, urged members of the association to add value to their services in order to give back to the society.

    “In business, you are potentially managing men, money and materials to achieve a purpose. You can either add value as an individual by giving back to the society through providing job opportunities to others, or you just make profit,” he said.

  • ASUU denies issuing statement on hike in varsities’ fees

    The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, has called for investigation into an alleged false and damaging report on hike in universities’ fees.

    Omole, while expressing dismay over the report attributed to him, denied issuing any statement to any media house on increment of fees in 38 universities.

    The union chief described the report, which originated fromthe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), as mischievous.

    Omolesaid he was never in Abuja and did not speak with any medium nor issue any statement concerning fees hike in universities.

    He said ASUU is a well-coordinated union and places factual data in public domain in an incontrovertible manner.

    The union chief called on Director-General of NAN, which was quoted by national dailies as the source of the news, to investigate the matter.

    Omole, who noted that he was shocked when people called him over the news item, noted that ASUU as a responsible pro-public education and masses union must not be linked to independent investigations conducted on education to make it authentic.

    He stated that his comments on the second year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari was clear on poor funding and inadequate budgetary provisions for public education.

    Omole maintained that both Federal and state governments continue to play politics with the lives of the children of the masses by planning to deny them quality education.

    “I need to place it on record that I was never in Abuja nor issued any press release to NAN or any other news medium in Abuja as falsely presented to the public.

    “Therefore, I do not know the sources of the figures quoted in the report. ASUU is a well-coordinated union, who will carry out incontrovertible research and present this to the public.

    “It is the duty of journalists to carry out investigation and if you have done that, why can’t you state that to the public? Why must you link it to ASUU that never spoke to you?

    “Is it because NAN is a federal institution and does not want government to sanction them for stating the obvious? This is bad journalism practice. For me, my position remains that the government has not lived up to the electioneering campaigns of funding public education. We shall continue to fight for the funding of public education and resist any attempt to deny children of the poor masses public education,” he stated.

     

    ‘ABUAD has not increased school fees’

    The Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has condemned the publication in some national newspapers on hike in universities’ fees.

    The said publication listed ABUAD among 38 Nigerian universities that recently increased their school fees.

    In a statement yesterday, the university’s Head, Corporate Affairs Tunde Olofintila, said: “We want to say in clear, unambiguous and unmistakable terms that the information, which was attributed to the Chairman of the University of Ibadan Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Deji Omole, is absolute falsehood with intent to misinform and mislead the public and deliberately distort the facts and circumstances surrounding our fees regime in ABUAD.

    “No increase in fees in any programme in ABUAD:

    We would like to say very equivocally and unambiguously that very much to the contrary of this spurious and speculative claim and for the records, we have not increased our tuition fees. For the avoidance of doubt, we have not in any way increased the tuition fees from N675,000 to N1,075,000 as claimed in the publication or at all.

    “We make bold to say that our fees have remained the same in the last two years, the biting economic recession the country is wading through notwithstanding. To ensure that we continue to provide quality and functional education, we have been subsidising the education of our students with part of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and additional funding by our Founder and Chancellor, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN and this will continue to be the case.

    “We take a serious objection to the opening paragraph of the said publication which said: ‘Thirty eight universities across the country have increased their tuition as a result of poor funding by the Federal and state governments’.

    “Ours is not a Federal Government owned university, but a Federal Government licensed non-profit private university, which does not enjoy any form of funding either from the Federal or state government. It is the peak of mischief for anyone or body to claim that we have increased our tuition fees because of poor funding by government.

    “We are, therefore, demanding for a retraction of this obviously offensive, misleading and malicious publication.”

  • 700 schools shut for non-payment of fees

    700 schools shut for non-payment of fees

    Osun State Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) has sealed off over 700 private nursery, primary and secondary schools for non-payment of registration fees and taxes.

    Acting Chairman Bicci Alli said at a news briefing in Osogbo that the institutions disregarded paying or renewing registration fees.

    Alli, who said the schools operated for years without licences, added that the government was left with no option but to shut them.

    He said the exercise was to recoup taxes.

    The acting chairman urged proprietors to pay levies and taxes to support government’s effort to improve education standard.

  • Governors kick against $138m consultants’ fees

    Governors kick against $138m consultants’ fees

    $6.9b Paris Club loan refund sparks row

    Questions over local govts’ $2.6b share

    There is disquiet among governors over a plan to pay some consultants $138 million (about N42.2b at the official N306 to $1) of the $6.9 billion Paris-London Club loan refund.

    Besides, The Nation learnt at the weekend that:

    • the Presidency is unhappy that local governments did not get their right share of the hefty refund; and
    • some states are still owing local government workers as many as 10 months’ salaries; others are owing six months.

    Non-payment of salaries and pensions is considered a breach of the agreement between the Presidency and the governors.

    The Presidency has released N1,266.44 trillion to the 36 states in the past one and a half years. The cash includes N713.70billion special intervention funds.

    Some governors are displeased that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) plans to pay 2% of the $6.9billion refund to consultants.

    The 2%  is $138,000,000 (N42.228billion at the official rate of N306 to $1).

    According to a governor, who spoke in confidence, NGF Chairman Abdulaziz Yari, who is also the governor of Zamfara State, conveyed the agreement to pay 2% to some consultants in a July 29, 2016 letter to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

    The letter reads: “Please recall that the Nigeria Governors Forum had at its meeting of May 2016 appointed a Consortium of Financial Consultants to reconcile and recover over-deductions from the Paris and London Club loans due to states and local governments.

    “Also, Mr. President in a meeting with members of the Forum had graciously agreed to pay 50% of the monies due and the balance of 50% paid after  due and diligent reconciliation of the accounts.

    “At the last meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum held in July 2016, the Forum unanimously resolved to pay a fee of 2% to the consultants as their professional fees for the services rendered.

    “Pursuant to the Forum’s resolution therefore, I am requesting that the payment of the consultant fees should be deducted at source from each state’s entitlement and paid directly to the account details of the consultants as attached with.

    “Consequently, we crave the indulgence of the Honourable Minister to effect the wishes of the governors when implementing Mr. President’s directives.”

    But the aggrieved governors said they were not happy realising that “one or two governors” brought the lead consultants after each state had engaged its own consultants. “Our colleagues can also not be offering consultancy services to us through some proxies”, he said, pleading not to be named because of “the sensitivity” of the matter.

    The governor went on: “At the end of it all, states are expected to part with N42.2billion to consultants who are not primary sources of the loan records. We were shocked that out of the N19billion consultancy/legal fees paid into the NGF accounts, most consultants hired by states have not been paid a farthing.

    “The bulk of the job of the reconciliation of loan refunds is being done by officials and consultants or financial advisers from each state, the Debt Management Office (DMO), the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

    “Some of us will resist further deductions from our loan refund. The N42.2billion is outrageous.”

    Following protests by states against over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of N522.74 billion (first tranche) refund to states pending reconciliation of records.

    Each state was entitled to N14.5 billion or 25% of the amount claimed.

    Mrs. Adeosun said the payment of the claims would enable states to offset outstanding salaries and pension, which had been “causing considerable hardship”.

    Governors had sought for the refund to states and local government areas at a meeting with President Buhari on May 24, last year.

    The President directed that:

    • a thorough reconciliation be carried out between the states and the Federal Government; and that
    • 50% of the claims submitted by the states be released prior to completion of the reconciliation to support states, most of which are financially distressed.

    Based on the intervention by the President, the NGF, in a letter to the Presidency, said “the total refund claim submitted by states was $6.9billion of which $2.6billion belongs to local governments.”

    The NGF, in the letter through Yari, added that “the data was obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).”

    “The $2.6billion deducted from the local governments is not disputable as the local governments have the powers  or capacity to take foreign loans for which the disputed deductions relate to,” the letter said.

    The Presidency released N522.74 billion (first tranche) to states.

    The release of the cash triggered a huge controversy, including payment of N19billion consultancy fees and $86million into the accounts of the NGF.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the alleged diversion of N19billion of which it has traced N3.5billion, allegedly to a consultant and some aides of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

    The latest dimension is non-remittance or “partial remittance” of the share of the 774 local government areas by some governors.

    It was learnt that some governors hid under the Joint Account System to utilise local government refund for other purposes.

    Local governments are entitled to $2.6billion of the refund. It is surprising that in some states, local government employees are still being owed about six to 10 months salary arrears, contrary to the spirit of the refund approved by the President,” a source said.

    “Some states got the refund and diverted it to other uses. Others transferred to Joint Account and gave local governments paltry sums.

    “We have the list of states where local government staff have been subjected to untold hardship by governors who have withheld the share of the third tier.

    “What the government expected was that since each local government paid for the loans, its refund should be directly remitted to it to pay outstanding salaries.

    “In a few states, the governors outrightly denied local governments their refund, as if the Federal Government did not release any cash.

    “But we have one or three states where the governors declared the actual refund collected and remitted local governments’ share.

    “We are looking at the activities of the governors and the government may be forced to name them at the appropriate time.

    “Such governors may also be investigated by anti-corruption agencies and they will account for the refund after their tenure.”

    A government source spoke about how the “abuse” of the refund accounted for the strict conditions attached to the release of the more than N500billion in the second tranche.

    “The Presidency will be strict this time around. The good thing is that the disbursement of the second tranche is subject to cash flow or availability of cash for the Federal Government,” the source said.

  • 4,000 UniOsun students owing fees

    4,000 UniOsun students owing fees

    More than 4,000 students of Osun State University may lose their studentship for failing to pay their school fees.

    Tomorrow is the deadline set by the university management for all students to pay their outstanding school fees.

    In a statement by the university’s Corporate Affairs Unit yesterday, 4,410 students are yet to pay their tuition three days to the expiration of the deadline.

    “It has been observed that many of the students owing the university between two and 11 semesters have collected the money from their parents but either “invested” in the failed Ponzi scheme (MMM) or diverted same for other purposes.

    “No fewer than 400 parents/guardians of the defaulting students have called the University helplines to report that they had long given money to their children/wards,” the statement reads.

    However, the university stated that students who cannot meet up with the deadline and do not want their studentship terminated may apply for leave of absence for the current semester with a sworn affidavit.

    The school  said: “The University Senate wants the public to know that at no time were school fees increased. So, the university has thus decided that no unregistered student should be permitted to write the first semester examination, which begins on March 6.

    “Defaulting students who do not seek for leave of absence will also have their studentship terminated.”

  • Post-UTME fees: What’s going on?

    SIR: The Ministry of Education cancelled Post UTME and ordered in its place a ‘Screening Exercise’ stating that no fees should be charged for the exercise. A few days later, (who knows what happened behind the walls), the ministry together with stakeholders, decided on a fixed, ceiling price of N2,500 for the exam.

    After the announcement, institutions rolled out their online screening application. The talking point is, some institutions charged more than the stipulated N2,500.

    A certain ‘Better by far’ University conducted their screening registration somewhat ridiculously. Neither departmental nor course-by-course cut-off marks were revealed. Worse still, the majority of the students (by a survey, over 75%) were forced to change course (a message pops up during registration that says ‘you are not eligible for this course’ leaving you with no choice than to change course. The registration fee was N2,500, the change of course is another N2500 plus N250 bank charges, making a total of N5,250 for students that were forced to change their course!

    After the registration, no screening was conducted. What a show of exploitation! The Ministry of Education turned a blind eye to all of these. Under the watchful eyes of the ministry, a university went as far as not conducting any screening -after money had been collected from the poor masses- and using the problem-ridden UTME results as the primary decider of admissions.

    Now, some of our institutions have collected more from students than they used to. The institutions did not comply with the jointly agreed fees and they were not checked. I smell conspiracy.

    I am using this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to conduct an appropriate investigation and take necessary disciplinary actions. I stand to be corrected.

     

    • Ahmed Adeyemi,

    adeyemiahmedabiodun@gmail.com

  • Akwapoly students protest against fees hike

    The Students of Akwa Ibom Polytechnic on Monday protested against the 100 per cent increment of fees by the school’s authority.

    The Students Union Government’s (SUG), President, Kingsley Eyo, told newsmen at Ikot Osurua in Ikot Ekpene on Monday that the students were not consulted before the increment.

    He added that the students were not comfortable with the Rector, Dr Israel Afia’s style of administration, demanding his removal by the State Government.

    Eyo said students wondered why the school’s management would chose to bring new fees regime in this period of economic recession.

    “The Pre-ND students that were paying N37, 000 are now to pay N69, 200 and ND-1 that were paying 45, 000 are now to pay N76, 200.

    “ND-2 students are now to pay N65, 500 as against N38, 000; HND-1 will have to pay N85, 700 as against N47, 500.

    “HND-2 students are now to pay N82, 700 as against N40, 700 that they were paying before”, Eyo said.

    The students also complained that management had not been publishing their semester results regularly.

    He alleged that the first semester results of ND had always been delayed to final semester of ND-2.

    The student union government president also accused the registrar of being insensitive to the students’ plight.

    Eyo said when the union approached him for dialogue; he retorted that education was not for the poor.

    Eyo threatened that the students would go on violent riot if the school authority refused to reduce the school fees. .

    Eyo said the management had also hijacked the running of Mami Market from SUG control.

    “Mami Market used to be controlled by the students, the management hijacked it. The levies from the market were usually paid to the student union government.

    “We had a meeting with them that since they are collecting the money from the Mami traders, they should give us some percentage.

    “We needed the money to repair the bus and some other things.

    “Even the park, there are some buses that are operating within the school campus, they hijacked the running of the park from us”, he said.

    Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Israel Afia said in a text message that he was in a meeting and would not speak to the press today.

    He said, “Not today please. I am in a meeting somewhere. Let’s talk later.” (NAN)

  • New students to pay N10,000 acceptance fee at LASU

    New students to pay N10,000 acceptance fee at LASU

    The Lagos State University (LASU), has directed successful candidates in the first round of its 2016/2017 admission screening to pay non-refundable acceptance fee of N10,000. ‎ This is contained in the varsity’s bulletin obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos on Friday. ‎

    It said the candidates were expected to report for clearance ‎from Nov. 7 and proceed with ‎the payment of the fee. ‎ ‎ The university directed the candidates to visit the LASU E-payment website to access guidelines for the approved procedure for the payment of the fee. ‎

    According to the bulletin, successful candidates are expected to appear before the Faculty, School and College clearance team‎ with evidence of payment, and original and photocopies of credentials, among others.