Students at the Ambrose Alli University, (AAU), Ekpoma are understandably dissatisfied with the university’s management decision to increase school fees which comes in the midst of a faltering economy. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) staged a sit-in to protest the steep price hike (up to 300%) in tuition. While at the Edo State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the national student group called for an immediate repeal of the over 300 percent increase in tuition.
They also demanded the sack of the Special Intervention Team (SIT), whose tenure is said to expire on the 24th of June, 2023 as well as the sack of the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin. Speaking, NANS, Vice President, Intercampus Affairs, Comrade Vanessa Egheahie, said the Edo State Government should revert to the old fees paid by the students before the new increment or NANS would move its headquarters to AAU to enforce the reversal as students from poor parents cannot afford to go to school with the new charges.
Fees had been raised by more than 360 percent.
According to Egheahie, the new fees make AAU the most expensive public institution in Nigeria, with the cost of a legal degree rising to N741,500 from N185k, and the cost of a medical degree rising to N638,000 from N216k. She complained that tuition had been raised by more than 360 percent due to actions taken by the Edo State Government and the AAU Special Intervention Team (SIT). To that she said, “those who have the right to increase fees are those who contributed to improve the school’s infrastructure”.
It’s an aberration that the state government has raised these costs, making higher education out of reach for low-income families, says Egheahie. This suggests that a salary earner in Edo State with a single child who wants them to study law would have to work for 23 months before he could afford the 100 level school costs associated with sending his child to university. Considering that public employees make up 78% of Edo’s population, this is somewhat improbable.
Special Intervention Team (SIT) is demanded to be fired.
With such high tuition fees, children of merchants, government workers, and other low-income earners will have a hard time to afford it. The Edo state government is sending us the message, through this policy, that they value our education at a low level and could care less if we wind up on the streets. She added that the SIT, whose term ends on June 24th, 2023, should be fired because it has not fulfilled its duty of managing and assisting the institution in sorting for funds.
She stated that the university’s Special Intervention Team (SIT) had failed in its duty, while the acting Vice Chancellor had threatened students by telling them to look elsewhere for lower tuition if they couldn’t afford it. Since the national student body has called for the dismissal of the SIT and the Acting Vice Chancellor, she urged that no tuition or fees be paid by parents on Monday. The decision to raise tuition has not gone down well with students, who are already protesting in large numbers.
Low-class students who are self-funding should be taken into account.
Also, Comrade Isaac Ogieva, the Secretary General of NANS Zone B, stated that when the cost was increased, they approached the school administration and asked that the low-class students who are self-funding their education be taken into account. He elaborated that many students are self-sponsoring their education and cannot pay these excessive prices. He continued by saying that the price tag is unreasonably expensive in a nation like Nigeria, where securing employment after graduation is far from assured.
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Increased in tuition fee cause uproar in AAU – National student group called for an immediate repeal of the increased fee. – Express your point of view.
The increase in the school fees is really alarming. All federal schools now will be paying the same amount of fees as state school, thereby making education expensive. I hope the common man can bear the new cost of schooling.
Sure there will be uproar since the tuition fees is increase is not increase some are struggling to pay it now it is increase it will be tough on the student
The rise in tuition is really concerning. Education will become more expensive and make people suffer how will the average people be able to afford the new tuition rates.
School fees is been increased is unfair to the student how can they cope up to the Increasement of the school fess something should and not to increase the school fees again so the student can continue paying normal fees as before
This is inconsiderate and nonchalant decision making from the school management. This time is hard for students already so increasing fees will just make things worse.
The executive order signed will create a regulatory framework in the state. Increasing tuition fee now is not the right time to do so. Many people are passing through hardship in Nigeria this period. Those who can not meet up with payment of tuition fee might drop out of school. So the school authorities should calm down
The call for an immediate repeal of the increased tuition fees at AAU is a necessary step that needs to be taken seriously by the university management. It is important to remember that education is a fundamental human right and that everyone should have access to it. The government should provide more funding to universities to ensure that the cost of education remains accessible to all.
This should be the results of student loan announced by the Federal Government. The new tuition fee announced by the Ambrose Alli University, (AAU), Ekpoma is too outrageous and the government decision on this subject too making lives more difficult for the poor masses who can’t afford such amount of school fees. Where do you want them to get it ₦700,000 plus as school fees per section, If the parents income annually is ₦1M. You will give only give more room for hoodlums to increase and cause more havoc in the society. Please, the state government should lower the fee for the common masses.
The increase of tuition fee by 300% by Ambrose Alli University, (AAU), Ekpoma is pure wickedness targeted at preventing the poor masses from sending their children to school. At this pointing in time that subsidy has just being removed from PMS and the power sector is still planning to increase theirs by 40%. This is unfair and intended to create hardship.