How can you hike tuition when there was no fees before — Prof. Muoboghare
…Say there was no upgrade, it was an establishment of a new University
There is currently tension among students of Delta State University of Science and Technology Ozoro, the administrative headquarter of Isoko north local government area of the state over the increase of school fees to N185, 000 for Indigene and N225, 000 for non-Indigene.
The action of the school management and that of the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration, has been described as “happiness turned sorrow”.
According to Comrade Onakome Michael, who described the fees as outrageous, alleged that the school has been turned into a private institution.
Hear him: “If really the school fees of Delta State University of science and technology, Ozoro is #225,000 then we can now say Governor Okowa had gladly turned the school to private as it was rumoured some months ago.
“Because of party and party supreme we will not talk again because if you talk, then you are not loyal.
“But if is true the school fees is #225,000 that means there is conspiracy theory to kill the institution because poor neither some average person will not be able to afford the school fees and we will resist every plan to turn the school to private school.
“If really, you can’t fund the school, what is the need for the bogus institutions in the state? Why can’t he leave the polytechnic than turning happiness to sorry?
“The happiness of University want to turn to sorry in Isoko and Ozoro kingdom? God forbid!
“I appeal to IDU, Youth body, Ozoro king, President General, Political actors and many other personalities to add voice or do something before is too late, so happiness will not turn to mourning. Let us not pretend all is well, i am very optimistic all is not well. Pls, let something be done before is too late”, he said.
Another respondent, Comrade.Dr. Oturu Sovereignty, wrote: “The government is part of those encouraging the increase crime rate in our society. How much is civil servant salary?
“How on earth do you expect a civil servant to raise this amount of money for school fees? When parents are unable to raise such amount of money as school fees aside accommodation and other logistics, the onus lies on the children to device a means to make this money either legally or illegally.
“Delta State Government should critically look into this. Reduce school fees so that crime rate will reduce. School dropouts may likely cause unrest in the society if not properly managed.
“The era where students in Delta State enjoy the benefits of government by paying lesser school fees is gone. Who did we offend in this state? During my first degree, the highest school fees I paid was #26,600 and as low as #18,000 and bursary was #19,500.
“Salaries of civil servants still remain the same. Now that school fees has increased to over #200,000, can the Government also increase the bursary in the same proportion and salaries of civil servants?
“Delta State Government come to the rescue of the common man. This school fees is outrageous for a common man
“I can remember at a time my parent had three of us in tertiary institution in this same Delta State. If the school fees was this high maybe I would have been a dropout today because I was the youngest amongst all. Increment of school fees as another form of SARS to the common man.
“Governor Ifeanyi A. Okowa please come to the aid of the common Deltan. Students must not flood the streets on protest before our voices must be heard.
Contacted, the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, said there was nothing like hike in tuition fees.
Said he: “How can you hike tuition when there was no fees before? There was no students in the University before. So, it cannot be a hike, you cannot hike from nothing.
“There was no University there before, the University is just starting. So, we cannot use the term hike as if there was fees before and the fees were increased”.
Asked since it was an upgrade from a Polytechnic to a University status, Prof. Muoboghare, cut in: “No! Don’t use the term upgrade, NUC, did not upgrade any institution. NUC approved the establishment of an institution.
“The law does not say upgrade, the law says establishment of a University to be known and known as Delta State University of Science and Technology, it is a University of its own. A University just started, this is a new University”, he said.
It would be recall that Bills for the upgrade of three higher institutions in Delta State to status of universities have been read the third times and passed at the State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, who flanked the Higher Education Commissioner, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, at a Post Exco briefing on Wednesday 27th January 2021, insisted that the ungrade is about governance and not about politics.
See the breakdown below
DELTA STATE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OZORO
School Fees
1. Caution fee 10,000
2. Departmental Teaching Material 6000
3. Development Levy 18,000
4. Entrepreneurship Training 13,000
5. Examination 13,000
6. General Studies (GST). 5,000
7. Handbook. 4,000
8. ID Card 7,000
9. Technology Fee. 4,000
10. Laboratory/Studio/Workshop. 7,500
11. Library. 12,500
12. Maintenance Levy. 11,000
13. Matriculation. 8,000
14. Health Service. 10,000
15. Registration. 8,000
16. Results Verification. 7,000
17. Sports. 5,000
18. Students Facility Maintenance Dues 10,000
19. Accreditation Levy. 13,000
20. Universal Policy Manual. 5,000
21. Security charges. 8000
22. Tuition Fee 40,000 (For non indigenes only)
Total
185k for Indigene
225k for non-Indigene.
