*UNIBEN Students on Rampage Over Tuition, Disrupt Traffic Movement*
The students of the both campuses of University of Benin have blocked the Ugbowo end of Benin-Ore Expressway, the path leading to the East on Tuesday morning and Ekenwan road.
The report says the students are protesting the alleged increase in their tuition three weeks after resumption.
The management of the University of Benin increased the tuition fee from 41, 200 Naira to 61,200 Naira under the guise of late payment.
However, it is said that the students disrupt flow of traffic in fighting for their right. A student of the institution says;
“In 2018 we were paying 18,000 Naira until the past government increased to 42,000 with the exclusion of the cost of form. Now with this late payment of 61,500 is a strategy to increase the fee again”
Uche, also berated the school authority for their insensitivity. “We are standing in front of the UniBen Campus, Ekenwa. We are not planning to leave here soon until we hear from the vice chancellor, Madam Lilian Salami. I have not heard or seen it anywhere that you be adding 10,000 Naira week after week.
All we want is for the VC to take 20,000 off the amount. The students are peaceful and have always being peaceful” he submitted.
Another protester and female student who has already paid her tuition said she could not just watch her friends cry for justice and not make a case for them . She said “This whole protest started in 2017 under the then VC when fee was hiked from 14,000 to 41,400. The then SUG members fought for our right and were rusticated though reinstated afterwards. Now the school decided to increase fees for those that have not paid this session.
Initially, there was supposed to be an increase of 10,000 Naira but did not take effect and now this new development. We are waiting for that reason such amount was added to the fees” she concluded.
One of our correspondence, Jobus who spoke to the VC via SMS chat and some other management pleaded that the increment should be reversed and also the ultimatum to withdraw the students from the halls of residence show also be reversed.
As at the time of filing this report, however, the school management had reversed the penalties on the late payment to the normal fee, management of the University has been seen as a reasonable body that listen to the cries of their students, the students of the University of Benin is now calm and happy with the final decision of the management.