There is currently some furore at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt (RSU) where the management and students of the institution are embroiled in a war of words over the ‘No School Fees, No Learning’ Policy.  

President of the RSU Student Union Government (SUG), Omano Kelechi told Kristina Reports in a telephone interview on Friday, September 30, 2022 that students of the institution are demanding the abolition of the ‘No School Fees, No Learning’ Policy, which he said the students described as “unfair”.

In a swift reaction, however, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Nlerum Okogbule told Kristina Reports over the telephone that the policy was adopted as a necessary measure to ensure that students pay their fees give their recalcitrance with responding to fees payment.  

Kristina Reports findings indicate that upon adopting the policy in August 2022, the RSU management had set up a committee to go round different faculties in the institution and evict students who have yet to pay their fees with a view to denying them learning opportunities, participation in tests and examinations till they pay their fees.

Reacting to the situation, a student, who pleaded anonymity, described the exercise as an unprofessional and unfair way to treat students, pointing out that the existing policy of denying students access to the results portal was better than this new policy.

“This is so unprofessional and unfair; this is not a primary school or secondary school. I don’t like it. The former policy was better. The way they normally do it is that you can’t access your results till you pay your fees but you are allowed to participate in all learning processes. We are now an advanced primary school oh.”

A second student, who also preferred not to be named, also complained about how she is feeling humiliated as she has missed four tests already.

The SUG President, Omano Kelechi confirmed to Kristina Reports that the institution actually released a memo to the effect that school fees drive would commence soon, but objected that this was without prior notification on the measures to be taken in that respect.

“When I received the memo on the issue, I had to read through the content; my anger was not basically on the issue of school fees because definitely we have to pay for the service rendered to us by the school management.”

“My anger was on the part of the Student Union Government not being involved in the process. We were not carried along to get the details first before making the publication bearing in mind that there is s psychological effect of this sudden school fees drive on the students.”

He advanced that they understand the fees are used to run the institution but that students should be given prior notification before exercising such policy and the Student Union Government should be carried along.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nlerum  Okogbule clarified that the measure became imperative as students were not forthcoming with paying their fees, accusing them of taking the equanimity of the management for granted, insisting compliance must be achieved, admonishing that “students who want to go to school should be aware that they are to pay fees”.

“How can a student be in Year Three and has only paid Acceptance Fee, no school fees? It is not done anywhere. We are doing this thing to help them. They are now taking it for granted, it is not accepted. We think that it is the way to go to ensure that students pay their fees.”