BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE
BENIN – STUDENTS of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Benin against what they called the arbitrary increase of fees by the authorities of the institution.

The protesting students with various placards with inscriptions such as, ” Reduce Our School Fees” “Education Is Not For The Rich Alone” “No Reduction ,No Resumption”, ” N165k No Be Beans”, stormed the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to registered their resentments over the increment.

Spokesman for the group and member of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) Governing Council, Comrade Edwin Akhimien Okoloise called for immediate reversal of the N165,000 new tuition fees back to N47,000 which represent over 400% increment

He said that with the economic reality in the country and the present 18,000 minimum wage, many parents can not afford such fees adding that the action of the institution management equally fell short of the idea of the founding fathers of the university to make education affordable to all

He frowned at shunning the committee of management/ students representatives meeting earlier suggested by NANS to negotiate the issues of fees by the school management

He said the students body (NANS) has consequently issued 24hours ultimatum to the University to shut down the school portal (KOFA) and immediately reverse the fees, adding that failure to comply, the entire students would be left with no choice but to embark on mass protest