EBSU students furious over increased fees.

Irate students of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki took to the streets recently to protest the increase in tuition and other fees by the institution, even as non-indigenous students decried the discriminatory fee regime announced by the institution.


Numbering close to 2000, the students marched from the Ishieke campus of the multi-campus institution chanting war songs and ransacking vehicles in search of their colleagues who were fleeing from the charged atmosphere.

Though the protest was relatively peaceful, the protesters went through the three campuses, brandishing placards, some of which bore inscriptions: "We say no to marginalization", "We are all South Easterners and Nigerians", "Ebonyi indigenes are not discriminated against in other schools," among other unprintable allegations against the school authorities.

It would be recalled that Ebonyi State University recently unfolded a fee regime that showed an upward review of all the fees payable in the institution and an adjustment of fees payable by students from other states that showed a wide disparity.

Under the new fee regime for instance, school fees for the indigenes were pegged at N57, 000.00 per session while the students from other states are to cough out N100, 000; for Medical Sciences and Surgery under concessional arrangement the indigenes are to pay N500, 000 while others are to pay N800, 000.00.

The students protested against the development, saying that admissions were skewed in such a way that those admitted on merit were too few so that a greater number had to struggle for the overpriced special admission called concessional admission.

The protesters also revealed that the hike in fees was also followed up with astronomic increase in the rent payable for private hostel accommodation for non-indigenes since the school has few hostel facilities for students.

Leadership of the students union said though they were in solidarity with the protesters, they had to prepare for their examinations so as not to prolong their graduation schedule.

None of the officials of the institution could be reached for comments as the security officers locked the entrance to the CAS campus where the offices of the principal officers are situated even as police men massed around the gate to preempt a breach of the law.

However, the Special Assistant to Governor Martin Elechi on Higher Education, Mr Mike Otuma, told newsmen that the discriminatory fee system had to be devised as according to him the state government was eager to address the issue educational backwardness by looking inwards emphasizing that the institution was created for that purpose.

He added: "As the federal government does not want to assist us much in turning around our educational tide, we want to create avenues where our people would avail themselves of educational opportunities provided by the government. We expect that the students should not had taken their grievance to that level because the increase affected all categories of students as it is clear to all that government need funds to provide adequate facilities to enhance learning in schools".

"To show its magnanimity towards their plight, the government after due consultation with the school authorities, students union government and other relevant stakeholders, reduced the hike by 10 per cent," he stated adding that the government was ready to listen to the complaints of the students at all time provided they present them appropriately.

One may ask, Why the eatern part of Nigeria?