The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS and National Association of Polytechnics Students, NAPS, have unanimously okayed forty thousand naira only (N40,000.00)as acceptance fee for the prospective students of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State.
After an extensive deliberation with the management of the institution on Friday, the leadership of the duo student bodies saw the reasons to unconditionally thick their nod to the new directives of the Fedpolynek.
Earlier, the Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrade Chuks Innocent Okeafor, a student of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, admitted that the visitation was inline with their consultation policy so as to strengthen the long existing peaceful relationship between students and management of the tertiary institutions. Comrade Okeafor recalled that the acceptance fee for the fresh students of Fedpolynek was thirty thousand naira only (N30,000.00) before it was recently increased to forty thousand naira only (N4,000.00).
He called on the management of the institution to kindly consider the present economic meltdown in the country as well as the abject hardship confronting parents and allow starts quo to remain.
“Some criminal-minded students may hide under the increment of fees to perpetrate crime and thereby bringing bad image to the Fedpolynek. The issue of no payment of school fees, no examinations should be considered. The school management should support Student Union Government to end inhumanity against our students. For instance, the school management should ensure that there is justice for the student allegedly killed by landlord/caretaker in Nekede.
The lecturer and student allegedly shot dead by security operatives at Naze junction. Above all, we are very happy with the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Rev. Engr. Michael Chidiebere Arimanwa for employing one of us as an academic staff of the Institution. We will continue to consult this Institution for lasting peaceful coexistence”, the NANS Senate President promised.
Responding, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Rev. Engr. Michael Chidiebere Arimanwa declared Fedpolynek as the most least expensive in Nigeria.
Rev. Arimanwa regretted that an Owerri-based radio station last week went on air, accusing him of collecting highest amount of money as acceptance fee amongst the Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria without delving into critical investigation of fees paid by students of the various institutions.
“For instance, a person seeking to be admitted into Fedpolynek pays N40,000 acceptance fee and N38,450 – N41,450 as school fees. While Yaba College of Technology collects N20,000 acceptance fee and N70,000 to N83,500 as school fees. Honestly, Fedpolynek is less expensive than any other higher institution in Imo State”.
