By Great Maduawulechukwu
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has decried an alleged arbitrary increment in schools at Delta State owned universities, with a stern warning that students will not hesitate to resist the increment if the managements of the affected school fails to reverse the increment within 48 working hours starting from today Thursday February 10, 2022.
The student union leadership called on the Governor of Delta State Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to urgently intervene to avert an impending outright anarchy, breakdown of law and order in the affected campuses and eruption of marathon protests across the state.
NANS made the observation in a statement signed by Comrade Dio Oghale Emeka Rex,
Deputy Coordinator, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS Zone B) Southeast and Southsouth, titled, “The Hike in School Fees Across Delta State Owned Universities: Extortion Taken Too Far,” and made available to newsmen in Delta State.
The statement noted that the press release has become necessary after obtaining and critically analyzing the details of the fees to avoid outright anarchy, breakdown of law and order in the affected campuses and eruption of marathon protests in the state.
Accordiding to the release, The attention of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS Zone B) southeast and southsouth has been drawn to the reckless and insensitive hike in school fees across Delta state owned universities, Delta state university abraka and Delta State University of Science and Technology, O before zoro in particular.”
“We therefore, in swift response to the agitations of the affected students and prospective students compelled to resist the hike in the interest of the general public, the parents and the students.”
“We dare state that this action by the respective managements is to say the least reprehensible, callous, insensitive and repugnant to natural justice.”
NANS thereby made the following demands, “That the implementation of the proposed new fees of Delta tate University of Science and Technology Ozoro be suspended forthwith and be reviewed downward to a total amount not higher than the sum of seventy thousand naira only (70,000).”
“That the increment in the school fees of Delta State University Abraka be reversed to status quo with immediate effect.”
“That any other state owned institution in Delta state planning any hike in school fees should jettison that intention as any action not in the interest of the Nigerian students would be met with an unimaginable resistance and uprising.”
NANS called on the attention of His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta state to the humongous fees slammed on students and kindly asked that he intervened with his good office to ameliorate the suffering and burden of parents who are also supposed to be beneficiary of his prosperity for all Deltans agenda.
“His Excellency is respectfully informed that same or similar items were duplicated in the fees and different prices attached just to sure up the school fees. This is not justifiable and totally unacceptable.”
The release warned that NANS as an organization with the sole aim of protecting the interests and welfare of the Nigerian students will spare no option in ensuring that this gargantuan extortion is resisted if not reversed within the next 48 working hours.
Oghale recalled that the fees at the Delta State University Abraka before now was between Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00) and Seventy Thousand Naira (N70, 000.00) before it was recently increase to between Two Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Naira (N245,000.00) and Two Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (290,000.00), depending on the department, while that of Delta State University of Science and Technology Ozoro, a newly upgraded University is between Two Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Naira (225,000.00) and Two Hundred and Forty Three Thousand Naira (243,000.00) depending on Department.
