BY SUNNY A. DAVID
Federal Polytechnic Students, Oko in Anambra State, have staged a protest against imposition of compulsory N5000 examination fees on them by the management.
The protest is also on insistence of the school management to deny those who have not paid the fees from writing their exams.
The protesting students carried different placards with 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” and others.
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 stated that examination fees is unlawful and demanded for a fee schedule in order to know the need for the said exam fees.
She kicked against the extortion, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the memo that introduced the fee and that all students should be allowed to sit for their examinations.
For the Vice President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, South East, Comrade Chukwuebuka Umezula, the school management on 9th of 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 wondered why the management will deny them taking their exams due non payment of examination fees.
According to Comrade Umezula, they will continue the protest and boycott all examinations in the school until the management changes its decision .
He said that their had laboured, struggled and battled to pay tuition fees, medical fees, ICT fees, among others and expressed shock on the new fee.
He said the National Association of Polytechnic Students has written the school management over the memo but the refused to listen.
Some students who spoke to our correspondent, include Kenechukwu Okafor, Merchant Jamesetta, Ifunaya Lucia and Pius Okolo said their parents are struggling to pay their tuition fees and wondered the motive behind the imposition of more fees to them and begged the Federal Ministry of Education to investigate and intervene.
Responding, the Acting Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Chijioke Ibeziako said that the management is looking into the issue and will settled it internally.
