By Joseph Albert, Awka
Students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra State have staged a protest over alleged incessant imposition of fees on them by the school management.
The protest was provoked by a recent imposition of a compulsory N5000 examination fee on the students, and the insistence of the school management to deny those who have not paid the fee from writing their exams.
The students carried placards with different inscriptions such as “Reduce the cost of texts books”, “Allow us to do our medical and data capture”, “Say no to corrupt stakeholders”, “Say no to exam fees”, “Breakdown our tuition fees” etc.
The students numbering over 1000 from different departments sang solidarity songs and chants as they marched from the school main gate to the administrative building, departments, permanent site and terminated at the popular school tower to show their displeasure over the continuous increment and incessant imposition of fees such as examination and ICT fees, forceful sales of handouts to them, among others.
Addressing the students, the Secretary General, National Association of Nigeria Students, South East Zone, Comrade Cynthia Felix, appealed for calm and expressed her resolve to make sure the students are not fleeced in any way.
She stated categorically that examination fee is unlawful and demanded for a fee schedule in order to know the need for the said exam fee.
The students leader, who kicked against the extortion, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the memo that introduced the fee, saying that all students should be allowed to sit for their examination.
For the Vice President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, South East, Chukwuebuka Umezula, the school management on 9th of April, 2024, released a memo informing students to pay an examination fee of N5000 on or before 12th April, 2024 before commencement of the examination.
He condemned the short notice and wondered the reason for an examination fee after they had paid their tuition fee, and why not paying the examination fee will deny them opportunity of taking their exams.
According to Umezula, the students will continue the protest and boycott all examinations until the management changes its decision, adding that the students have laboured, struggled and battled to pay tuition, medical, ICT and other fees.
He said the National Association of Polytechnic Students has written the school management over the memo but got no response.
Some students who spoke to journalists, including Kenechukwu Okafor, Merchant Jamesetta, Ifunaya Lucia and Pius Okolo said their parents are struggling to pay their tuition fee, and wondered the reason behind the imposition of more fee, appealing to the Federal Ministry of Education to intervene.
Reacting, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Chijioke Ibeziako, appealed to journalists to kindly play down on the report, promising that the issue will be settled internally.
