For the fourth time in four years, the management of Abia State University (ABSU) has increased tuition fees payable by its students. The latest of such increments led to a violent demonstration.
The university was shut down indefinitely. PASCAL OKEZU (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.
LECTURES have been suspended indefinitely at the Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, following a violent protest by students over an increment in tuition fees. The students said the management has increased the fee four times in four years.
This is the second time the university has been closed down in three years.
Our correspondent learnt that in late 2007, the school fees being paid was N27,000 but by mid-2008, it was increased to N30,500. There was no protest because the students felt the increment was minimal.
However, in 2009, the hiking of the fee from N30,500 to 60,000 sparked a demonstration, which led to the closure of the state-owned university for six months. Students later resumed when the fee was reduced to N47,500.
In 2011, the school fees was again raised to N50,500, an increment the management explained was as a result of an inclusion of faculty dues of N3,000. Students reacted that the faculties’ dues had been included in the initial figure of N47,500 but management disagreed and had its way.
However, in January this year, a new regime of fees was introduced. Faculties were required to pay different exorbitant fees. Fresh students in faculties such as Law and Nursing and Optometry were asked to pay N120,000 while their colleagues in higher level will pay N100,000.
At the Faculty of Humanities, freshers will pay N100,000 while students in higher levels were asked to pay N90,000. In the faculties of Business and Education, it is N90,000 for the freshers and 80,000 for other levels.
Though the management gave the students the grace to pay the fees in two instalments. But trouble started when the authorities discovered that majority of the students had not paid the new fee. This made the management to issue a statement directing students to pay the whole amount before writing their second semester exams.
The students rejected the directive, saying they could not afford the new fee. This led to an outrage among students of the Faculty of Education, who were billed to start their exams last week. Majority of them have not paid the complete fees, and thus were not allowed to write their papers.
Students went on rampage, chanting various solidarity songs to register their displeasure over the fee hike. They besieged the campus, paralysing all activities. During the violent demonstration, staff vehicles, louvres of offices and facilities in the school auditorium were vandalised. A statue at the front of the Faculty of Law was destroyed.
The protesters also tried to vandalise the school’s generator but were repelled by soldiers attached to the school. In the process, the diesel being used to fuel the generating set was spilled by the students. The soldiers, who have been stationed at the school’s main gate since last year, did not fire a shot during the demonstration but prevented the protesters from destroying more property.
Reacting to the protest, the school authorities closed down the institution indefinitely.
Adiele Chidozie Oluwafemi, 400-Level History and International Relations, said: “It is not a thing of joy that the school has been closed down because it is not in anybody’s interest. But, for me, the school should not be opened until the fees are reduced. There has been a steady increase in the school fees over the last four years. When I was admitted, I paid N32,000. Now, they want me to pay N90,000, which is quite unfair. There should be a steady fee, at least, for over the next five years, instead of this obnoxious increment in fees all the time.”
A protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “They have been increasing the school fees without anything to show for it. It is not as if there has been a turnaround in the infrastructure the school has; in fact, most of the buildings being put up in the school are either through the Education Trust Funds (ETF) or by private individuals. What are they now doing with the money?”
Some of the protesters felt there should be a complete overhaul in the school administrative system. Chidiebere Mbataku, 300-Level student, said: “I am one of the student leaders and, as it stands now, we are angry with the Vice-Chancellor and Governor Theodore Orji. When did it become a crime to go to school? Are we going to kill ourselves because we attend ABSU? Even if they re-open the school, there is no assurance that we will still not go on protest because what all students are saying is that management should revert the school fees to 50,000. That is all we want.”
For Ogechi Iroha, ABSU management has overstepped its bounds and “we also want to show them that they can’t get away with the increment this time around.”
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the University Mr Acho Elendu did not pick calls and reply text messages when our correspondent contacted him.
