Management of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi, last month, directed 400A and 400B Clinical students of the university to vacate from the school hostels shortly after the students protested hike in tuition and accommodation fees, amongst other pressing issues.
AE-FUNAI, founded in 2011, boasts 13 faculties, 50 departments, 58 academic programmes and a college of Medical Sciences as well as a School of Postgraduate Studies. The school in a memo obtained by TRIBUNE ONLINE had directed Dean of Students Affairs and lecturers to ensure that students who default in the payment of fees (tuition and accommodation) are denied access to the hostels and classrooms/clinics – a development that the aggrieved students kicked against.
Below is the breakdown of the approved charges for medical students:
What informed the directive
The school management had in September 2023, revealed about 1,106 students (comprising Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences and Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences) are still indebted to the University to the tune of N71,642,100 and N99,678,200, respectively. The school management further added that the students must pay the outstanding fees regardless of number of years spent on a programme.
Students kick
Some aggrieved students under the auspices of 400A and 400B Clinical students, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the school management, insisting that they would not pay for the session until their demands were met.
One of the affected students who did not want to be mentioned, urged the management to look into the matter and find a lasting solution to it.
“We are calling on the school management to look into these outrageous fees. We have also done research regarding the fees payable by Medical schools in the South-south and South-east zones, as well as by the new Federal and State-owned Medical schools in the country. Our findings are; the other charges and hostel fees in other medical schools are not as exorbitant as that which applies to us, and the hostel stay is optional.
“Following these developments and the outrageous amount of fees paid by the medical students, a peaceful protest was staged on Tuesday, 10th October, 2023 at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI) main campus. Our demands were read to the management upon arrival of the peaceful protesters at the university senate building.
“In an era where the medical sector in Nigeria is suffering a lot of migration by medical practitioners, the medical students are the hope and should therefore be adequately encouraged and catered for. The amount of love and attention the we will receive in this time of need will also be a driving force to render services upon the completion of our programme,” the source disclosed.
Similarly, the students in a petition jointly forwarded to our reporter urged the school management to look into their plight.
“We humbly request that the decree of multiple payment of fees in one class by the clinical medical students of AEFUNAI is addressed.
“We request that the exorbitant fees paid by the medical students be considered and that it will be brought down to an affordable rate.
“We also request that the hostel fees be brought down to the initial price of N70,000 and that the school hostels be made optional,” the petition read.
School mgt. reacts
Reacting, the Public Relations Officer of AE-FUNAI, Elom Iyke Ubochi, urged the students to be patient with the management as the decision was made in their interest.
He also urged them to pay their outstanding fees to enable the university run its programme effectively and efficiently, adding that no session would be left uncovered.
“They (the students) were never on strike as claimed. They were going for their hospital postings and also living in the hostels owned by private developer and they refused to pay. Whether there was ASUU strike or not, they were obliged to pay for the completion of their lectures for the session.
“Presently, we are doing indexing which is one of the criteria needed for them to write their third MB. We also told them to present their clearance papers to be able to go for the indexing in preparation for their third MB,” he stated.
On the reason for the memo directing students to vacate their hostels, he said; “They became unruly. You know (referring to our reporter) these are youths. We gave that directive to avoid uncontrollable crisis. So, in order to mitigate the crisis, the university told the clinical students to vacate the hostel for demonstrating. We took that decision because fifth columnists may hijack the protest and endanger their lives in the process”.
In his part, Dean of Students Affairs, Charles Okolie refuted claims that the students were not receiving lectures within the stipulated period adding that payment of fees for each session is sacrosanct regardless of the issue at stake.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
