National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the management of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma are engaged in a face-off over increment in school fees.
The NANS had on Friday protested what they described as the over 300 percent school fees increment at the Edo State owned Ambrose Alli University, (AAU) Ekpoma. They demanded the reversal of the increment, the sack of the Special Intervention Team(SIT), whose tenure they said would 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 N741,500 as against N185,000. While Medical Science Students are to pay N638,000 as against N216,000 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 fee 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 one 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, maintained 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 sought for fund, and should be sacked by the Edo 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
In its response via a statement by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, the management of AAU said: “Management views this protest by NANS as Ill-motivated, considering the fact that Management has made it clear over and over again that the decision to make adjustments to tuition fees in AAU, though painful, is inevitable in the light of the present realities.
“Tuition fees adjustments are not peculiar to AAU, Ekpoma. Everyone knows that it is no longer realistic to train a lawyer or a doctor in Nigeria with N185,000 and N216,000, respectively, in a year. Management notes that the adjustments in tuition fees are only for in-coming students of the University.
“Even then Management informs that with the arrangement in place, old students will continue to pay the old fees they have been paying since their admission into the University until they graduate from the University; so, in effect, these tuition fees adjustments do not affect those who are already “students of Ambrose Alli University.”
Going further, the management said: “To cushion the payment of these fees, Management has always approved instalmental payment of fees by students of the University. In other words, students have two semesters to pay their fees. The set of in-coming students are not exempted.
“The war cry being raised by members of NANS sound like the familiar cries of the many politicians and meddlesome interlopers masquerading as ‘stakeholders’ who have, for some time now, been threatening the peace of the University and appear to be cashing in on this opportunity to relaunch their war against the University and its Management.
“Management advises NANS, its officials and its backers not to threaten the peace of the University and start a battle they do not know when it will end. Management pledges to remain unprovoked and focused on its mandate with the support of the Special Intervention Team and the Edo State Government.
“Management encourages parents of prospective students not to be dissuaded from sending their wards to Ambrose Alli University, as the University means well. Management urges all students of AAU to remain peaceful and not to take the laws into their hands as the 2022/2023 session begins in earnest on Saturday, July 1st, 2023.
“Management assures all of adequate security as they go about their lawful duties in the University.”
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