The Abia State University on Tuesday confirmed a 20 per cent reduction in its school fees, beginning from 2014/2015 academic session.

There had been an increase in the tuition fees in the 2012/2013 session putting the university authority and the students on a war path.

The Dean of Student Affairs of the university, Udo Nwokocha, said that the reduction cuts across all the faculties.
The fees, which was raised in 2012, had forced the students to stage peaceful demonstrations.

The students had considered the hike in the tuition fees as government’s attempt to deny them of their right to education.

In the old fees regime, a student of Mass Communication paid N130, 000 per session, while law and medical students paid N140, 000.

Some students alleged that there was low turnout of candidates who applied to write the post-JAMB UTME test because of the high fees.

A student, Chidinma Eleri, said prospective students, who could have chosen the university, applied elsewhere because of the high fees.

Reacting to the new development, Israel Ahamefula, the President of the university’s Student Union, said the reduction was a right step in the right direction.

He thanked the state government for bringing down the fees.

“On behalf of the students, I thank the state government and the school authorities for the reducing the fees.
“This has been a long-awaited welcome development,’’ he said.

(NAN)