UNN Postgraduate students protest hike in fees

Postgraduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka [UNN] on Friday  barricaded the office of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ben Ozumba, in protest against hike in their tuition fees, describing the increase from N69,000 to N145,000 as outrageous.

The placard-carrying protesters, numbering over 200, marched round the school calling on the authorities to reverse the increment.

One of the protesters said, “To us, the increment is outrageous. We are not against any increment, but it should be reasonable. It is not fair to increase the fees for a session of nine months from N69,000 to N145,000.

“Where do they expect us to get that kind of money? “We will continue this protest until the university reduces it. I do not think it is a crime for one to further his education in UNN.”

The dean of the university’s PostGraduate School, Professor A. Ubachukwu, addressed the students, saying, “Government does not give any allocation for postgraduate school as it is assumed that postgraduate students are adult and can pay cost for their education.

“I use my personal money at times to run the PG school,” Mr. Ubachukwu said. “I have been talking with some of your leaders on this issue for some time now and we compared notes with other universities before the increment on PG school fees was made.”