…SUG President, Predecessor, Others Wade In
Hundreds of Students of the Rivers State University (RSU) are on the verge of withdrawal from school as the February 11, 2020 deadline given by the institution to students to pay their fees or risk withdrawal draws near.
Our source revealed that Students that may face imminent withdrawal if nothing is done to reverse the decision of the Management are those on self sponsorship.
Some students who spoke to National Network on condition of anonymity explained that they are finding it very difficult to raise money to meet with the new tuition fees for the various Faculties which was allegedly increased by at least fifty percent by the current Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Owei last year.
The concerned students said they were disappointed at the Management for initiating such policy without considering the fact that all students are not from rich homes and some of them are self dependent.
In the meantime reports reaching National Network indicate that students who are self dependent and some parents from poor background besieged many loan facilities in Port Harcourt to raise money for the payment. We also gathered that many final year students who found themselves in this situation are auctioning their belonging for sale to raise the money and pay the fees in order not to waste all the years they have put in.
Efforts to get RSU management reaction did not yield result as the Registrar of the institution Sydney Eyindah is yet to respond to text messages sent to him by our reporter which from Network response had delivered to his mobile line.
When contacted, the President of Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the institution Pepple Precious explained that the union has sent an appeal to the university Management who he said has promised to look into the matter.
Precious expressed optimism that their appeal would get positive response from the authorities as according to him, the Acting VC is a mother who understands the pains of her children.
Meanwhile a former SUG, President of the institution in 2011/2012 academic session, comrade David Nelson Ordu in an interview with our reporter advised the school management to loosen the strictness on the deadline of the tuition fees payment.
Comrade Ordu revealed that many self sponsored students will be affected if the institution goes ahead with its decision at the expiration of 11th February 2020 deadline for payment of school fees.
He also criticized the increase in the tuition fees while calling on Governor Nyesom Wike to intervene in the matter.
