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Students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on Thursday evening, began a protest around the main campus over a proposed increase in school fees for the 2021/2022 academic session.
Some of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity said the school authority released a proposed school fees schedule for the 2021/2022 academic session which indicated almost 100 per cent increment.
The school, whose students are still undergoing second semester examinations, shockingly released a list of fees for each faculty in the upcoming session, which it termed, ”Proposed Schedule of Undergraduate Consolidated Service Charge.”
Irked by the proposed hike, the students converged at various hostels on Thursday evening after mobilising through social media platforms earlier in the day.
They described the increase as outrageous and vowed not to comply with the payment.
One of the students going into third year said she paid N41,500 in the previous session and is expected to pay N82,000 in the new session that will, according to the University’s calendar, formally begin on Monday, December 5.
Some of the students took to their social media handles to complain about the situation on ground.#justiceforUNNstudents has begun to trend on Twitter.
The Student Union Government of the institution has appealed to the students to stay calm promising to handle the matter in the most diplomatic way possible.
“The UNN students community is by this notice encouraged to keep calm while the students union take their agitations in the least violent but diplomatic way to the school administration who we believe will see reason with us and do some adjustment to the increments already made,” statement credited to the SUG appealed.
Despite the plea from the SUG, students still embarked on protest. They converged in front of different hostels and headed towards the Vice chancellor’s office.
A rumor amongst the Students is that the proposed school fees increase by the university authority was to make up for the unpaid salaries which the federal government has refused to pay lecturers.
The University authority was yet to make any comment on the matter as at the time of filing this report. However, it was noticed that the school’s portal has been shutdown.
Some of the videos circulating on social media showed large number of students converged in front of school hostels.
It was also learnt that the students plan to continue the protest the next day.