Heavy gridlock hits Jos as students protest fees hike

  The students who assembled at the school as early as 5am were expected to commence their second semester examination on Monday but insisted that the school management must revert the N50, 000 new school fees it imposed on them to the N27,400 they had been paying. The protesting students caused a gridlock around Bauchi […]

 

The students who assembled at the school as early as 5am were expected to commence their second semester examination on Monday but insisted that the school management must revert the N50, 000 new school fees it imposed on them to the N27,400 they had been paying.

The protesting students caused a gridlock around Bauchi road chanting anti-school establishment songs.

They were carrying leaves and placards that read ‘we are rascals but VC is our father’ as well as chanting ‘VC must go!’.  

The Students Union Government (SUG) President, Nnok Nduu Abel told journalists that students of the University of Jos were known to pay the highest tuition fees when compared to other Federal Universities in northern Nigeria.

Abel explained that: “N10, 000 development levy is an issue, N10, 000 late registration is an issue, the release of school buses for students to access is an issue, the financial autonomy of SUG is an issue, release of Naraguta hostel is an issue, N25,000 paid as acceptance fee by our new students is an issue. Though we were supposed to commence exams today (Monday) but we felt that should exams be allowed to hold, these demands will not be heard, it will be politics as usual.”

The Vice Chancellor of the school Professor Hayward Mafuyai later told newsmen that the school had not increased school fees stressing that “the development levy they are talking about has always been there. The N25,000 acceptance fees for new students has always been there and UniJos students are paying the least amount.”

Mafuyai said the school management has postponed examination to 1st December while a delegate has been sent to talk to the students adding that a committee has been set up to look into the protest.

Earlier, Obadiah Gotom, a student of Special Education and Rehabilitation Science who is also blind alleged that he Vice Chancellor had turned a deaf ear to the plight of students.

He said: “He is not even considering us the physically challenged, we need assistance so who can remove such money to pay as school fees? We protested in 2012 when he increased our school fees. We forwarded our complaints to him but he said he does not have time to sit with us describing us as ‘bunch of rascals’. We are aware that the protest is going to affect our exams but we the final year students are ready to do our last sacrifice for those coming behind.”