The management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State disbanded the students’ union for staging a protest against tuition fee hikes and alleged extortion of students by the authority.
The university management in an internal memorandum released on Friday, September 1, 2023, ordered the immediate dissolution of the students’ union for allegedly breaching some provisions of the school’s rules and regulations.
However, a source in the school told SaharaReporters that what actually led to the students’ protest was a “huge increment in tuition fees despite economic hardship in the country”.
“Last session, the total fee for the medical laboratory was N131,400 but now it is N237,500,” the student told SaharaReporters.
He added that the management had also imposed some unnecessary charges on the students to milk them.
The source said, “An MoU agreement was signed between the former union and the present management that the Edo Health Insurance Scheme will be for only fresh students but they went ahead and implemented it for all students as against the agreement.
“Meanwhile, some families are already under this health scheme which makes it a burden to register twice and the issue of the unequipped health centre of the university is there.
“Also, there is an increase in school fees for old students despite this hardship.
“Thirdly, we pay school fees in two instalments for those that can’t afford full payment but if you calculate what will be an instalment, it is higher than the full fee.
“Also, the management will tell the students that the governor is the problem and that we should protest at the Government House yet they will tell the governor that the students are being political because they want to please him.”
“Students pay for everything all in the name of running the university,” the source added.
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