By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
Students Union Government of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri have officially written to the school management, over their proposed massive protest Against the policies of the Rector, Arimanwa Micheal and extortion by school management.
A letter, sighted by our correspondent, dated June 7, 2023 was respectively endorsed by one Okebaram Stanley and Obidianso Anthony who were identified as the SUG president and secretary of the Institution.
The letter addressed to the Rector through the division of students affairs, read in full; “resolution of students consultative council on the breach of agreement by the polytechnic management pertaining to the imposed schedule of the CBT exams in the first semester and restrictions attached to students inability of tuition fee payment.
“Sequel to the respective meetings between the Dean, Staff of the DSA, and officials of the students Union Government held on Tuesday,6th June 2023 and that of the Polytechnic management and officials of the Students Union Government held on Wednesday,7th June,2023, the students consultative council (S.C.C) of the 2022/2023 academic session write in humility to your authority to formally inform you of our unanimous stand on the breach of agreement by the polytechnic management under your authority for imposing to schedule the CBT exams in the first semester and the unbearable ultimatum for students of the Polytechnic to pay their tuition within 2days or risk the stoppage of writing their CBT exams.
“Sir, the Students Union Government being the Apex body of all students of the institution and the students consultative council which comprises of 11 Constituents bodies of the students Union Government have resolved in a meeting held on 8th, June 2023 that the imposition of the CBT exams to be scheduled in the first semester should be retired and that the mandatory restriction of students unable to pay their tuition from pertaining in the first semester exams should not be invoked.
“This resolution is in the ground of the following; The harsh economic standard of living faced with the students of the Polytechnic which barely have remedy for the time being. Also on the worrying cry and restivenes of the entire Polytechnic students who have yearned bitterly in the face of academic frustration and aggravated grievances caused by continuous Increment at a very high rate.
“Sir below is the list of harsh increment, induced fees, duplicated payments made by the polytechnic management under your authority and other challenges that the entire Polytechnic students are also agitating for –
“Double payment of students identity cards and library fee, whereas these fees are already included in the schedule of students tuition fees. Our stand is that the duplicated ID cards and library fees made at the bursary and library fees respectively, should be totally scrapped out. We can not be making double payments.
“Course registration fees should be scrapped out, because the purpose has no stand to claim.
“Acceptance fee should be reduced, O’level verification fee should be scrapped out, Unit price of textbooks should be reduced to#1,500 and grassroots implementation of content of the memo with ref FPN/R/223^/XII/27 dated 23, June 2022.
“Transcript fee should be reduced, cutting of shrubs, cleaning of the drains, and fumigation of the Polytechnic campus should be looked into because of the rising inhabitants of reptiles.
“Removal of TEDC fee. There are reported cases by students, of snakes being seen in the drains.”
However, the students also revealed that the incessant increment and unlawful policies of the institution management have exposed majority of them into hardship, prostitution, theft, cultism, scamming and other fraudulent activities as means for survival.
The students have concluded their plans for a mass protest against the rector, starting from Monday 12, June 2022.
