Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko have staged a protest against incessant imposition of fees on them by the school management.
The protest followed a recent imposition of a compulsory N5000 examination fees and the alleged insistence of the school management to deny those yet to pay the exam fees from writing their exams.
The students carried different placards with inscriptions including “reduce the cost of texts books”; “allow us to do our medical and data capture”; “say no to corrupt stakeholders” ; “say no to exam fees”; “breakdown our tuition fees” to drive home their message.
The students numbering over 1000 from different departments sang solidarity songs and chants as they protested from the school main gate to their administrative building, departments, the permanent site and terminated at the popular school tower to show their displeasure over the continuous increment and incessant imposition of fees such as examination and ICT fees, forceful sales of handouts to them, among others.
Addressing the students, the Secretary General, National Association Of Nigeria Students, South East Zone, Comrade Cynthia Felix appealed for calm, even as she affirmed that the examination fees is unlawful
She demanded for a fee schedule in order to know the need for the said exam fees, while also demanding the immediate withdrawal of the memo that introduced the said fee, adding that all students should be allowed to sit for their examination.
The Vice President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, South East, Chukwuebuka Umezula, said the school management had on 9th of April, 2024, released a memo informing students to pay an examination fees of N5000 on or before 12th April, 2024 before commencement of the examination.
He said the short notice fell on a public holiday and wondered the reason for an examination fee after they had paid their tuition fees.
Umezula noted that they will continue the protest and boycott all examinations until the management changes its decision, lamenting that the students have struggled to pay tuition fees, medical fees, ICT fees, among others fees.
He said the National Association of Polytechnic Students has written the school management over the memo to no avail.
Some students in an interview said their parents were struggling to pay their tuition fees and begged the Federal Ministry of education to investigate and intervene.
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