NAUTH mgt reacts to protest over school fees Hike, pledges to resolve disagreement

~ Insists fees remain relatively affordable

By Ifeizu Joe 

Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi, School of Nursing, on Tuesday protested what they described as astronomical hike in their tuition fees.

The students had protested the increase of their tuition from N90,000 to N580,000. The increment was said to be after an internal memo reportedly issued on January 23 by O. I. Ezejiofor, CMAC/chairman of the board of NAUTH College of Nursing, announcing an upward review of the students’ school fees, citing the need to upgrade the institution.

The students responded with a protest, where they carried placards at the school gate, protesting the hike. Some of the students who spoke rejected the new fees, also complaining about the cost of accomodations in the institution.

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

The Chief Medical Director of the institution, Prof Joseph Ugonna who spoke with journalists said he was away, but has learnt of the protest.

“Once I return to the institution, we will sit with members of board who proposed the new tuition and also with the student 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 here. 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 accomodations, 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.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mrs Chinyere Onwuka also told journalists that the leadership of the students union of the institution has dissociated its from the protest.

Onwuka said: “They wrote to us, and I have the letter here. I don’t know those who organized or led the protest. Meanwhile, let me tell you that the hike in fees was very moderate.

“That amount includes 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 it remained cheap.

She insisted that some other institutions paid as much as N800,000 tuition for old students, even exclusive of feeding.