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AAU students protest over increase of fees

Published

9 years ago

February 21, 2017

From OSEMWENGIE BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin City

Students of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, have sustained their protest of the insensitive increase of school fees by the university authorities.

The protest of the angry students brought the traffic on the Benin-Okene highway to a halt, as the students blocked the federal road adjacent to the university gates at both main campus and the College of Medicine.

National Daily gathered that the students were protesting what they called excessive fees imposed on them by the school management.

They contended that while the management claimed in previous statements that all mandatory dues were lumped up with the school fees to save students the stress of multiple payments, they however, imposed several other fees, department levy for instance, in addition to mandatory restitution fees charged by school authorities for destruction of school property during the previous protest.

It would be recalled that students of the institution in November last year embarked on violent protest to demand reversal of the increase in school fees.

The protest forced management of the institution to announce indefinite suspension of academic activities, while two students were said to have sustained bullet injuries when security operatives intervened and attempted to disperse the students through the use of force.

However, the management of the school had repeatedly denied any increase in fees payable by students of the university, saying it was only implementing increment made by the past administration.

Meanwhile, the senate of the university on Monday held an emergency meeting to review the protest with a view taking appropriate decisions.

According to the spokesperson of the institution, Edward Aihevba, the senate, at the end of the meeting, resolved to keep the school opened, while a meeting between management and students was scheduled for February 21, 2017.