Disquiet over ‘hike, duplicate’ fee charges in Delta-owned varsities

By ELO EDREMODA, Warri

A school fee list of charges by the newly established Delta State University of Science and Technology (DSUST) Ozoro, for students is causing disquiet among parents, students, and concerned stakeholders across the State.

The list, which has been circulating on social media platforms, states that students of Delta origin are expected to pay N185, 000 while non-Deltans are to pay N225, 000 for the 2021/2022 session.

A similar list by Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka, is also generating ripples.

DELSU students had protested a hike in their fees last year, forcing the management to review the fees downwards by about 15 percent for some courses.

Returning and fresh students were, however, shocked to discover that the fees have been hiked for the 2021/2022 session.

A 300 level student of the Faculty of Education disclosed that she paid N72, 000 and N100, 025 in her first and second years, respectively.

Noting that the new fees for her faculty was yet to be stipulated, she said there were hearsays that fees will be increased for the session.

Worried by the charges, some of which are perceived to be duplicated, some individuals and groups, including the National Association of University Students (NANS) have called for immediate reduction of the fees to allow children of the masses to acquire university education.

NANS, in a statement by its Deputy Coordinator, Southeast and Southsouth zone, Oghale Emeka Rex, on Thursday, gave a 48-hour ultimatum for the fees of both institutions to be slashed and reverted, otherwise face a resistance.

It frowned on the hike in fees across Delta- State-owned universities, warning that other varsities who are thinking of toeing the same line should jettison the idea.

The statement accused the management of the universities of duplicating or adding similar items in the fees with different charges to shore up the fees.

Describing the development as an “extortion taken too far”, it demanded a suspension and downward review of the proposed fees for DSUST to nothing higher than N70,000, while that of DELSU be reverted without delay.

NANS further called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to prevail on the matter so as to “ameliorate the suffering and burden of parents,” who ought to benefit from his prosperity for all Deltans agenda.

The list for DSUST, sighted by The Nation is titled ‘proposed schedule of school fees components for 2021/2022 academic session Faculty of Computing’.

The components and the charges are “caution (N10,000); department technology material (N6,000), development levy (N18,000); entrepreneurial training (N13,000); examination (N10,000); General Studies (N5,000); Hand Book (N4,000); ID card (N7,000); Technology fee (N4,000); laboratory/studio/workshop (N7,500) and library (N7,500).

Others are maintenance levy (N11,000); matriculation (N8,000); health service (N10,000); Registration (N8,000); result verification (N7,000); sports (N5,000); student facilities maintenance dues (N10,000); accreditation levy (N13,000); university policy manual (N5,000); security charges (N8,000); tuition (non- Deltans) (N40,000) and laboratory coat (N8,000).

When contacted, Vice-Chancellor of DSUST, Professor Jacob Oboreh, who sounded uncertain about some of the charges in the list, flared and hung up when asked to be recorded.

DELSU’s Public Relations Officer promised to reach The Nation after seeking “clarifications” on the issue but was yet to do so two hours later. (The Nation)