The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Forum Of Former Students Union Leaders (FOFSUL), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma in Edo State have carpeted the Edo State government and the management of the University over the controversies trailing the increment of tuition fees in the school.
The two bodies alleged that the government and the school authority were deceiving the public by denying increments of school fees when the fees for new entrants have been increased.
In a statement by the National Vice President Inter Campus Affairs of NANS, Comrade Vanessa Egbeahie said the decision of the management of the university to increase tuition was insensitive.
“As rightly acknowledged in the anti-people and oppressive publication by the University acting registrar, dated 24th May 2023, those they are expecting to pay their outrageously proposed fees are “intending students”, and NANS as a body reserves the right to speak up against every attempt by those saddled with the responsibility of managing our public institutions to turn it into a commercial hub for the sole purpose of generating revenue at the expense of the poor and average Nigerian.”
On its part, the FOFSUL in a statement stated, “A cry for help and redemption for AAU” by its National President, Ifijen Isaac and made available to journalists in Benin City on Wednesday said the decision of the management of the school and the state government through the Special Intervention Team (SIT) was either to take education beyond the reach of the people or prevent the host communities of the school from access to education.
The statement said neighbouring Delta State with several tertiary institutions have made public their tuition fees and the schools are fully operational while Edo State is playing pranks with the people.
Part of the statement reads, “We (FOFSUL-AAU) cannot exonerate the principal officers of the University led by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Asomwan Sunny Adagbonyin neither can we exonerate the Special Intervention Team (S.I.T). We seek answers and demand detailed explanations to the course of the rise in tuition.”
He alleged that there were also ploys to compromise the Student Union Government of the university “To forcefully implement the tuition rise” by hurriedly conducting elections into the Union without the presence of most of the students.
Your Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, when the good people clamoured for your re-election, the seed of trust was sown, and hope for improvement of the standard of living was anticipated by indigenes and residents of Edo State, hence the perturbed maxim “four plus four” in all and sundry.
The monthly subvention to the university has been slashed and no single lecture theatre is outstanding, a building built from foundation to its completion.
“We are unequivocally strong in our view and we call on His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, the Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, the Special Intervention Team (S.I.T), and other stakeholders responsible for the management of our great institution (A.A.U) to go back to the drawing board and consult intellectuals on how best to manage our institution (A.A.U).
“We Forum of Former Students’ Union Leaders (FOFSUL-AAU) seize this opportunity to holistically condemn any attempt to increment in tuition fee, vehemently register our displeasure towards the unfortunate increased schedule of tuition fee as published by the A.A.U Management for 2022/2023 academic session and call on the Executive Governor of Edo State; His Excellence Godwin Obaseki to mandate/direct the Special Intervention Team (S.I.T) and the Ambrose Alli University Management to reverse the tuition fee increment, discard the intention of increment, and accordingly maintain the status quo of the 2020/2021 tuition fee (school fees) with immediate effect.”
