Fed. Poly Oko Students Protest Management’s Imposition of N5000 Examination Fees
Students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state, have staged a protest against imposition of compulsory N5000 examination fees on them by the management.
They also complained that the management insisted that those who have not paid the fees will not write the exams.
The protesting 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”.
The students numbering over 1000 from different departments sang solidarity songs and chants as they protested from the school main gate to the institution’s Administrative Building, Departments, to the permanent site and terminated at the popular school tower .
This is 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 described examination fees as unlawful and demanded for a fee schedule in order to know the need for the said exam fees.
Comrade Cynthia kicked against the extortion, demanded immediate withdrawal of the memo that introduced the fee and further requested that all students should be allowed to sit for their examinations.
Speaking also, the Vice President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, South East, Chukwuebuka Umezula, informed that the school management on 9th April, 2024, released a memo informing students to pay an examination fees of N5000 on or before 12th April, 2024, before commencement of the examination.
He condemned the short notice that fell on a public holidays and wondered the reason for an examination fee after they had paid their tuition fees.
Umezula also wondered why the management should prevent them from taking their exams because of non payment of examination fees.
He threatened that they would continue the protest and boycott all examinations in the school until the management rescind its decision.
Umezula pointed out that they had laboured, struggled and battled to pay tuition fees, medical fees, ICT fees, among others and expressed shock at the new fee.
He further informed that the National Association of Polytechnic Students has written the school management over the memo but they refused to listen.
Some students who spoke to journalists including Kenechukwu Okafor, Merchant Jamesetta, Ifunaya Lucia and Pius Okolo lamented the hardship their parents pass through to pay their tuition fees and other levies, and wondered why more pains should be added to the already suffering parents and appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to investigate and intervene in the matter.
When contacted, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Chijioke Ibeziako said that the management is looking into the issue and will settle it internally.
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