The students of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri, have rejected what they termed abysmal increment in their school fees being imposed on them by the school management.
The students who rejected the outrageous increase in their school fees, had threatened to embark on serious civil unrest if the school management refuses to rescind its harsh decision on the school fees which they said would be to their detriment.
The agitating students who anonymously poured out their outcry last week while speaking with our reporter who visited the institution, disclosed that the school management was not supposed to increase their school fees in order to use the money to rehabilitate some dilapidated amenities or fund some projects in the school whereas the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) is being used to that effect given that the school is owned and managed by the federal government, asking management to review the tuition fees with a view to ameliorating their suffering and the huddles their parents or sponsors go through to foot their tuition fees.
They wondered why management of the federal institution which parades many academic giants could allegedly impose outrageous school fees on students to finance projects which ordinarily are being funded by Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND), informing that the Students Union Government (SUG) President, Comr. Onuoha, told them not to pay any fees, who they accused of siding with the authority to dwindle the morale of students, as well as cause civil unrest in the school. “The SUG President is dormant. He told students not to pay any money till further notice. He denied any knowledge of the increment in school fees. He said he called the college bursar, but no tangible news is heard from him”.
According to a final year student of the college, “degree students paid #64,000 in their first year, but as a result of the sudden increment in school fees which culminated into making second year students to pay #75,000, third year students #68,000 and final year student #47000 as against the norm”, adding that “the tradition has been that the higher a student proceeds academically, the lower the fees, but there is now a reverse of the tradition in the institution”.
Commenting, a civil servant and a parent of two students of the institution, Elder Cyril Amadi who expressed disappointment over the tuition impasse, advised the school management to resort to TETFUND or to the federal government for intervention, saying it was the height of insensitivity to impose fees on the students amidst harsh economy that destabilises the society.
Just as an academic staff of the college who did not want his name in print, said “there would have been a dialogue between students and management prior to the time of effect”, blaming the Students Union Government of the school for not speaking up for students, mentioning that other SUG Presidents react proactively when students are embattled with such abysmal policies of their school authorities.
The students are calling on the federal government to wade into the matter to restore the status quo in terms of school fees payment.
Efforts made to reach the college management including the SUG President was unsuccessful.
