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Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, School of Nursing, on Tuesday protested what they described as an astronomical hike in their tuition fees.
The students had protested the increase of their tuition from N90,000 to N580,000.
The increment followed 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, carrying placards at the school gate to express their opposition to the hike. Some of the students who spoke rejected the new fees and also complained about the cost of accommodations in the institution.
However, the management of the institution has pledged to meet with members of the board and the student union leadership to resolve all outstanding issues and ensure peace returns to the institution.
The Chief Medical Director of the institution, Prof. Joseph Ugonna, who spoke with DAILY POST, said he was away but had learned of the protest.
“Once I return to the institution, we will meet with members of the board who proposed the new tuition and also with the student union leadership to sort things out.
“As for school fees, yes, there was an increment. We just had a new board, and the board decided to review tuition 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 may protest the increment, but it is for their own good so that we can maintain standards.
“As for other complaints about the cost of accommodations, I can say that the institution does not own any; they are mostly private hostels, and the arrangements are between the students and the owners,” Ugonna stated.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mrs. Chinyere Onwuka, also told journalists that the leadership of the student union of the institution has dissociated itself 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 and transportation to postings to Enugu. The hostels they mentioned are 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 the South East showed that NAUTH remained affordable.
She further noted that some other institutions charge as much as N800,000 for tuition for returning students, even excluding feeding.
NAUTH reacts as Nursing students protest tuition hike from N90,000 to N580,000
