AUCHI POLY STUDENTS PROTEST DRACONIAN SCHOOL FEES POLICY

Students protest ‘no school fees, no exam’ policy in Auchi

Some students of Federal Polytechnic Auchi in Edo, on Thursday protested the “no school fees, no exam” policy adopted by the institution’s management. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest resulted in the vandalism of no fewer than 100 vehicles and several properties.

The situation was however brought under control by the police and members of Auchi Vigilante Service.

Already, the management of the institution has closed down the school, to prevent escalation of the violence.

Sources said several students allegedly involved in the protest awere arrested by the police.

The incident was said to have started when some of the students were denied access to write their first semester exam.

The affected students were said to have mobilised themselves and disrupted other students already writing their exams, before vandalising vehicles and properties.

Some of the students who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said it was unfair to deny them the chance to take the exams.

“We are protesting because the school management prevented us from writing our first semester examination on the account that we are yet to pay our fees.

“The school management is not fair to us and we want the policy reversed,” one of them said.

Reacting to the development, the Dean, School of Evening Studies, Mr Mahmmud Garuba, faulted the protest by the students.

Garuba said that the management had announced the “no school fees, no exam policy” prior to the commencement of the examinations.

“Those that were denied access into the examination hall were not students; as they have not registered since they claimed to have gained admission into the polytechnic.

“Enough sensitisation was done on the “no school fees, no examination” policy by the management and for them to go on riot and destroy properties of the institution, it is unacceptable,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Mr Mustapha Oshiobugie, also said that those prevented from writing the examination were not registered students of the institution.