From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), yesterday, described as reckless and insensitive the hike in tuitions at the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro; and Delta State University, Abraka.
NANS, in a statement by its Deputy Coordinator for zone B (South East and South South), Oghale Emeka Rex, urged the management of both institutions to immediately rescind the decision to avoid anarchy on campus.
Rex said there should be a downward review of the fees to be pegged at not more than N70,000.
He called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to intervene, insisting the management of the universities were callous to have even contemplated an increase in fees.
“NANS, as an organisation with the sole aim of protecting the interests and welfare of the Nigerian students, will spare no option in ensuring this extortion is resisted if not reversed within the next 48 working hours,” he said.
Meanwhile, students of the state University of Science and Technology, Ozoro had protested the increment of N185,000 school fees for indigenes and N225,000 for non-indigenes.
One of the protesting students, Onakome Michael, said the fees were outrageous, alleging that the school has been turned into a private institution.
“If really the school fees of Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro is N225,000 then we can now say Governor Okowa had gladly turned the school to private as it was rumoured some months ago.
“If is true the school fees is N225,000, that means there is conspiracy theory to kill the institution because average person will not be able to afford the school fees and we will resist every plan to turn the school to private school,” he said.
Reacting to the protest, Commissioner for Higher Education, Patrick Muoboghare, said there was nothing like hike in fees.
“How can you hike tuition when there was no fees before? There was no students in the university before. So, it cannot be a hike, you cannot hike from nothing.
“There was no university there before, the university is just starting. So, we cannot use the term hike as if there was fees before and the fees were increased.”