ABU Students Protest over Increase in Fees
The students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria are currently grumbling over at the institution’s management decision to increase the school fees payment for all students of the institution.
The university was said to have announced sudden increase in student fees without explanation and many students were worried they might not be able to pay the fees.
The Student Union Government and the management were said to have commenced discussions on the way forward but have yet to reach a consensus.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President Comrade Bukar Sulaiman had asked students to stop registration proceedings until a resolution is taken.
Students were apparently not happy when they were asked to pay additional N3, 250 without clarification. Those in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences pay the sum of N16, 800 as fees, so with the recent increment they would pay N20, 500.
Students’ registration exercise which commenced last week was said to have been suspended. The registration portal was later closed following protest by the students’ union.
In a telephone chat, the SRC president said “everybody should stop with the registration until we finish meeting with management.” Many students have already paid their registration fees before the school registration portal closed, it was gathered.
A memo signed by the president, and pasted in different notice boards in the school said “with great dismay, we observe an increase in school registration fees of students’ especially returning ones. This is a decision taken by the university management without any prior consultation, notification or discussion with SRC which is the apex students’ body in the university.
“Therefore, the ABU SRC 2015/2016 on behalf of the entire students of ABU will not accept the act.”
One of the returning students said the fee increment was rejected because students were not aware of it. “We are not happy with this at all, the management is aware that most us can’t afford such outrageous increase.”
At the end of deliberation between the Council and university management, a consensus was reached; the money was reduced by fifty percent.
One of the Reps said “yes we reached a consensus, they will now reduce it by fifty percent and the portal will be reopened for students to continue with the registration.”
The management however did not say whether students who made payments earlier will have a refund of their monies.
Source:www.schoollives.com
