NANS ISSUES ULTIMATUM FOR REVERSAL OF SCHOOL FEES HIKE

A quest for supremacy may soon be brewing between the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and tertiary institutions in the South-South Geopolitical zone, as the student body has issued a 7-day ultimatum for tertiary institutions to desist from any form of increment in tuition fee as well as terminate all kinds of extra charges on students under veneer of bank charges.

In a strong-worded communiqué issued by the leadership of NANS Zone B, at the end of its 40th Senate Meeting held in Asaba, the union specifically frowned at the much speculated introduction of tuition fees in Delta State owned tertiary institutions, noting that “education is a right and not privilege”.

It stated that in the light of the lingering economic slump in the country, “it will only amount to sheer wickedness to increase the fee payable in any institution in the state”, particularly at a time when some workers are being unavoidably owed a backlog of salaries.

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“The Senate NANS Zone B rejects the introduction of tuition fee in Delta State owned tertiary institution…Gives a-7 day ultimatum to return to status quo and further demanded for the reduction of the previous fee considering the economic situation of the country as most state governments are yet to pay their workers”, the communiqué stated.

Comrade Pedro C. Obi, NANS (Zone B) Coordinator. 

Also, the NANS Senators rejected the “high school fees” being paid in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and subsequently demanded a reversal of the trend in AAU as well as a reduction in fees in the latter institution.

Further, the apex students body described as illegal and fraudulent the collection of N1,000 bank charges from students in the zone, and also rejected the payment of late fee charges, as practiced by virtually all tertiary institutions in the zone, asserting that the economic situation does not favour such compelling demand.

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Already, speculations are high that the major tertiary institutions in Delta State may introduce payment of tuition fees at the commencement of the new academic year.

We recall that claims and counter claims on this issue have awashed the social media, as students in some of the institutions and admission hopefuls have continuously decried the idea.

Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta State University, Abraka, Mr. Eddy Agbure declined comments on the issue.