Every Nigerians who heard the news of the Abia State University (ABSU) requiring students to pay a “Pandemic Prevention Fee” of N25,000 was baffled and queried the state government and institution’s leader.
Speaking on this development, the Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered the institution to immediately remove the “pandemic prevention fee” from the Abia State University students fee. The Pandemic prevention fee was added to the ABSU student’s fee upon resumption of academic activity in the university on Monday, 9th November 2020.
Governor Ikpeazu who directed the academic institution to remove this “outrageous” fee, disclosed during a Town Hall meeting with students and management of the school on Thursday, November 5th, further added that indigenous students from Abia State will be paid N30,000 each by the state government as support to them, their parents, and/or guardians.
While relaying the outcome of the meeting with news people, the Abia state governor said;
“Yesterday, I had a Town Hall meeting with students and management of Abia State University where a fee of N25,000 for student was proposed as a medical fee for the pandemic, but was later slashed down to N15,000 to help ABSU put in place adequate measures to protect students who will be resuming from the ravaging COVID-19.
“In that same meeting, I approved immediate bursary payment to Indigenes students of Abia state university, to help ease the impact of COVID-19 on them and enable them meet the medical fee obligations with ease.
“However, after approving the Pandemic prevention fee, we took a deeper review of the agreement & its likely effect on all the students and their sponsors (either parents, family or guardians), and I think the burden is too much, which is why I’ve directed the immediate scrapping of the “pandemic prevention fee” immediately.
“However, our initial agreement of paying all Abia state indigenes schooling in ABSU thirty thousand Naira each, still stands. I’ve directed those in appropriate places to start paying the N30,000 to each Abia student in the institution as further support to them, their parents and guardians in this very difficult moment of economic downturn caused by the global health crisis.
Hope this resolve the issue, and thanks to everyone, both students of Abia State University, students schooling in other institutions, and well meaning Nigerians, for condemning this bill. Together, we’re stronger.
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