Students protest as Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma hikes tuition fees by over 100%
The students of Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma have been protesting peacefully following the unfathomable increase in their tuition as well as other auxiliary fees by the management of the school.
The management of AAU Ekpoma has slammed increase in school fees from N134, 000 to N245, 000 for Nursing and more for other departments.
It was also gathered that the school fees for 2022 session was increased by over N100,000 for students of College of Medical and over N50,000 for campus Students.
Recall, Nigerians are still groaning over the hike in fuel price, culminating in hike in transportation as well as food insecurity, so while government at all levels are looking for ways to mitigate the hardship on the citizens, the leadership of the AAU Ekpoma under the Acting Vice C-Chancellor, Prof.Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin has turn the other side to unleash more pains, suffering as well as psychological trauma on parents whose minimum wage is just a paltry N30,000, while some are peasant farmers who cannot go to farms again due to the fear of kidnappers.
Investigation revealed that the peaceful protest by the students began on 30th of August 2023, but all they have been hearing from the management of the school is that ‘anyone that cannot pay the new fees should drop out’.
The rate of out of school children in Nigeria has been growing exponentially like a time bomb waiting to explode and AAU is set to add to the figure by this singular act of hiking school fees and making the indigent students to drop out of the university.
Some education watchers are calling on the State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki to as a matter of urgency intervene in this AAU increase in school fees impasse in order to save the future of the students who have lost a session following the ASUU strike.
Today, September 1, while the protest continued peacefully with high expectation of dialogue to stem the impasse, the Acting Dean of Students, Engr Dr. E. Ufuah decided to throw away the baby and the bath water by issuing an internal memorandum dated September 1 2023 titled ‘Dissolution of the student union Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma’.
Parents are also calling on the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki to extend the federal government palliatives to AAU Ekpoma by intervening and reducing this hike in school fees meant to suffocate the students in order not to truncate the school academic calendar that is about to start this September.
Meanwhile, concerned student of AAU Ekpoma has issued a statement concerning the struggle.
