Essential Ndubuisi
Don’t force us into rituals, sex trade, DELSU students beg govt, mgt over tuition
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There was tension at the Delta State University, Abraka, on Monday, as students of the institution kicked against what they tagged the astronomical increase of school fees.
The angry students in their hundreds stormed the campus in the early hours of the day and shut down the main entrance gates as well as all other access roads, thus preventing vehicular movement into and out of the institution.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions calling on the management to review the increment in fees.
One of the placards read, ‘We don’t want to be involved in ritual activities and sex trade in search for money for school fees’.
The angry students lamented that the management was pushing students into prostitution and ritual activities by its action and appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to intervene without further delay and order a downward review of the tuition in the state’s tertiary institutions.
They stated that unless the decision on the fee increment was reviewed, lots of students would drop out of school.
An eyewitness told sources, “The protesting students, both Deltans and non- Deltans, arrived at the Abraka campus in their numbers and locked up the main gate and the gates of the other sites.
“The protesters can be heard singing and calling the governor and the vice-chancellor’s names.
“The protesters appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to review the astronomical increase in school fees in the state as they don’t want to be involved in ritual activities and sex trade in search for money for tuition.”
However, the management of DELSU said all issues arising from the hike in school fees would be well handled and resolved in a civilised manner, while commending the students of the institution.
This was contained in a statement by the institution’s Director of Ceremonials, Information and Public Relations, Prof Ben Nwanne.
While urging the students to proceed with the registration of their courses as student leaders were already discussing with management, the statement insisted that “the only recognised body holding brief for students on the matter is the Students’ Union Government.”
