UNIZIK Nursing students protest hike in fees Our fees moderate - Management

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By Madu Obi

Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) School of Nursing, Nnewi, have taken to the streets to protest what they described as astronomical hike in their tuition fees from N90,000 to N580,000.

The increase was said to have been effected after an internal memo reportedly issued on January 23 by the chairman of the board of NAUTH College of Nursing, showing an upward adjustment of students’ school fees.

Angered by the development, the students embarked on the protest, on Tuesday, during which they carried placards and blocked the school gate.

The students lamented that the hike in fees came at a time they were also complaining about the cost of accommodation in the institution.

But the management of the institution has pledged to sit with the members of the board and the students union leadership to sort out all outstanding issues and ensure that peace returns to the institution.

The Chief Medical Director of the institution, Prof Joseph Ugboaja, who said the fees are affordable, however, stated that the school authority would dialogue with the students.

"We will sit with members of board who proposed the new tuition and also with the students union leadership and sort things out.

As for school fees, yes, there was increment, and you know we just had a new board, and the board decided to review tuition, so as to give the students the very best.

They proposed N580,000 to us (management), which we approved, but there is still room for us to take a better look at it and harmonize things.

Our fees have been very cheap, and even with the increment, we are still the lowest in fees around the South East. So, for someone who was paying N90,000, they will protest the increment, but it is for their own good, so that we can maintain standard.

As for other complaints about cost of accommodation, I can say that the institution does not own any. There are mostly private hostels, and the arrangements are between the students and the owners," Ugboaja stated.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mrs Chunyere Onwuka, who also spoke on the matter, claimed that the leadership of the students union of the institution was not in support of the protest.

Onwuka said: "I don't know those who organized or led the protest, but let me inform you that the adjustment in fees was very moderate.

The new fees include their feeding, transportation to postings to Enugu. The hostels they talked about is a private arrangement between them and the owners."

She insisted that a comparison of the school fees of the institution and those of other Schools of Nursing around South East showed that ours remained cheap, adding that other institutions pay as much as N800,000 tuition for old students.