Fellow Nigerians,
This press statement conveys the sentiments and decision of the largest students movement in Sub Saharan Africa, The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS on the ill-considered and outrageous School fee hike by the management of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu.
Over the past days, the Enugu State secretariat of NANS have been inundated with pressing calls and complaints from students, parents and well meaning Nigerians over an outrageous fee hike implemented by the management of IMT Enugu. We have, in our responses, assured all and sundry that in line with her Charter of Demand, NANS remains undaunted in her avowed role of being the vanguard of oppressed Nigerian Students.
The Apex students body had consequently swung into investigations through the instrumentality of a fact finding taskforce to ascertain the true state of affairs in IMT.
OUR FINDINGS.
We have carefully collated findings, reports and complaints and we report thus;
1. That the management and Governing Council of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu have inadvertently conspired to - without recourse to the current economic state of Nigerians - further deny Nigerians access to quality and affordable education by increasing tuition by an outrageous 100%.
2. That the tuition which was hitherto N40,000 has been inhumanly hiked to a staggering sum of N80,000, an amount that average Nigerian families can hardly afford for tuition let alone below average families.
3. That the management of IMT has systematically allowed to flourish other means through which students are extorted.
A. The management has allowed a 100% increase in the price of textbooks sold by lecturers. (i.e from N1,000 to N2,000)
B. The management allows the extortion of N3,000 from every student accused of exam malpractice before he or she faces the malpractice panel.
C. The management allows the compulsory payment of N2,600 for the registration of GNS courses.
B. Students pay extra fee of N3,600 as internet fee for internet services that is never available.
OUR POSITION
1.The National Association of Nigerian Students NANS is strongly aversed to any form of tuition increment that does not place students as major indices for consideration. NANS deems this increment, outrageous, unnecessary, unwarranted and untimely .
2. NANS is all out and ready to resist this increment and other extortions in IMT with every weapon in her arsenal. We call on the Governing Council and Management of IMT to effect a total reversal or face mass action from the largest students movement in West Africa. Anything short of total reversal leaves IMT ready to be occupied by Nigerian students.
3. We are allowing the Management of IMT a period of 7days to do everything necessary to reverse this hike. At the Expiration of 5 days, Nigerian students will be forced to occupy IMT.
We enjoin every student of IMT to put on hold every process of fee payment and stand with us as we wait, engage and hope that the management of IMT will consider the plight of students and effect a total reversal.
Freedom only cometh by struggle!
Aluta Continua , Victoria Ascerta.
*Comr. Ikechukwu Emmanuel*
*Chairman NANS Enugu*
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