Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, on Monday, blocked the Onitsha Enugu expressway and protested alleged hike in school fees by the university authority.
News Echo reports that the angry students, equally marched round the school environment with placards, before moving to block a portion of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway to register their displeasure.
The institution, through its acting head, information and public relations, Chika Ene, had, on Saturday, refuted alleged increase in school fees of returning students of the institution for the 2020/2021 academic session.
It urged students, staff and the public to dismiss the report as fake and that it is targeted at causing unrest and destabilizing the peace in the university.
However, the students, during the protest, insisted that the increment was true, alleging the university management’s connivance with the Student Union Government (SUG) over the purported increase.
One of them, a third-year student who preferred anonymity, said they decided to embark on the protest as they could not bear the increment any longer.
“When they increased the fees to over N50, 000 last year, we were asked, through the SUG executive, to bear with the school, promising that they would revert to the initial fee of about N26,000
“But to our greatest surprise, instead of asking us to pay the old fees as promised, we saw additional amount to what we paid last year.
Addressing the students in front of administrative block, the chairman, Anambra State Axis, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Peter Onyenweife, assured the students that his executive would never be party to any form of increment. He appealed to the students to ensure the protest was peaceful and within the confines of the campus environment.
He said “I’m standing here as your representative. We can never be a party to any form of increment. That’s why we’re here to plead with you.
“If this same group of students were the same students that gave me support in 2019, I want to assure you that I won’t, for any reason, support anything that will hurt you.
“I want to put my integrity on the line; in all honesty, the vice chancellor, VC, is currently in Abuja. But the deputy vice chancellor (DVC), Academics, who’s the second in command, will brief us on his behalf.”
The DVC, Academics, Prof. Fedrick Odibo, who addressed the students on behalf of the vice chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, said institution’s fees structure had been pulled down, while discussion with the students’ union government was ongoing.
He said, “We’ve heard your agitations and they’re okay. You have freedom of protest and that’s why we’re handling you as our children. “The VC is not around, but I’m in touch with him. He suggested he addresses you via zoom, that’s the essence of technology. “We’ve pulled down the fees structure of the university and we’re discussing with the students’ union government.”
“On his part, the Dean, students’ affairs, Prof. Nonso Achebe, called on the students to suspend the protests, assuring them of a town hall meeting with the VC on his return.
