Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State
Students in Delta State owned Polytechnic and College of education have kicked against reported hike in tuition fees by the State Government.
The students led by the President of National Association of Polytechnic Students, Comrade Jeremiah Friday Ohomah, noted that, “no student will be able to pay the fees except Delta State returns to the status-quo.”
While noting that education was not a privilege but a right, Ohomah, who expressed dismay over the development, stated that parents cannot afford to pay the new fees considering the hash economic situation in the country.
Former NAPS Senate member, Comrade Okosun Williams on his part said “the increment was done to only Delta state higher institutions; no other state in Nigeria increased theirs.”
”Polytechnics who were paying N20,000 for OND before now are now to pay N32,000 and, HND for non -indigenes who are paying N53,000 has been increased to N71,000, among others.”
He appealed to the state government to revert to the former school fees to enable parents send their children to school without stress.
“If the school fees are not reduced, many students cannot continue with education and many will be forced to take to crimes and other social vices”, he warned.
Some of the students wondered why an oil-producing state like Delta would be the one increasing school fees in a season of recession while other poorer states have not. “It does not make sense that a state like Delta will be the one fiddling with tuition at this time. I don’t get”, fumed a student who pleaded not to be named.
