ERC Kicks Against Increment of Fees At NOUN, The Polytechnic, Ibadan

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Makinde

*demands immediate reversal

By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Worried by the situations in the nation’s education sector, the Education Rights Campaign, (ERC) on Tuesday, demanded immediate reversal of increment in the fees payable by students in some higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.
ERC in a statement jointly signed by its Deputy National Coordinator,  Ogunjimi Isaac and Acting National Mobilization Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, condemned the increment by the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN) in the school fees for its undergraduate and postgraduate students offering different programmes across the country.
The Education Rights Campaign while frowning at the increment in the hostel refusal fee by the Management of The Polytechnic Ibadan, from N5,000 to N15,000, ERC noted, ” this is nothing other than scandalous and outrageous, and should be vehemently rejected by well-meaning Nigerians.
” We hereby, join NOUN students to demand immediate reversal of the hiked fees and proper funding and democratic management of the institution and study centres. As far as we are concerned, the ERC supports the struggles of NOUN and The Polytechnic Ibadan students who are protesting commercialization of education”, it said. 
ERC added, ” In the same vein, we support the struggle of all Nigerian students who are opposed to underfunding and commercialization of public education as well as assault on the democratic rights of students and staff.
” The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) condemns in strong terms the recently released publication by the management of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) stating an increment in the school fees for undergraduate and postgraduate students offering different programs from all the 36 study centers cutting across all states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.
ERC stressed, “according to the new schedule of fees, the total fee payable by new undergraduate students is now N55,000 as against the initial N36,000, excluding courses and exam registration. Exam registration is now N1,500 from an initial amount of N1,000. Likewise, project fee for undergraduates rose to the tune of N25,000 while that of the postgraduate students was hiked from N35,000 to N61,000. We hereby join NOUN students to demand immediate reversal of the hiked fees and proper funding and democratic management of the institution and study centres.”
Concerning increment in the Polytechnic Ibadan hostel refusal fee from N5,000 to N15,000, ERC said  the decision of the Institution’s Management as unfortunate, and that, “as far as we are concerned, the introduction of hostel refusal fee in the first instance is ridiculous and exploitative let alone the increase.
” The Polytechnic Ibadan, wants to charge students for refusing to stay in the institutions hostels which are inadequate and in poor and decrepit conditions. This is unacceptable! Reversing the charge to N5,000 is not enough! We hereby demand the total scrapping of the Hostel Refusal Fee alongside other absurd fees like acceptance fee etc.”
It stressed further, ” protest is a fundamental and inalienable human right guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution (As Amended). To this extent. We warn the Polytechnic management to refrain from victimizing any student and their leaders for their roles in the protest.

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