Two die, UNIPORT shut as students protest fee payment

TWO understudies of the University of Port Harcourt were on Monday dreaded killed amid a challenge over a claimed approach by the administration of the foundation that school expenses must be paid before they would be permitted to take their first semester examinations.

One of the understudies recognized as Peter Ofurun, who was said to have been hit by a shot from a policeman, passed on immediately.

Another understudy additionally hit by a slug was hurried to the clinic, even as sources guaranteed that she kicked the bucket while in transit to the healing facility.

The UNIPORT understudies' challenge had stopped scholastic and regulatory exercises in the establishment as they requested that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Lale, ought to address them and opposite the strategy

Ofurun was an understudy in the Faculty of Management Science before he met his unfavorable demise.
Sources told our reporters that the two understudies were hit by the slugs when policemen opened flame to scatter the challenging understudies from the bustling East-West street they had involved for quite a long time.

Nonetheless, the state Police Public Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, let one know of our journalists that no life was lost amid the dissent.

"No reported instance of death toll all through the understudies' challenge. What the police did was only the release of their command of restoring commonality and organization in the college," Muhammad said.

The understudies' nearness on the East-West Road had brought about a gridlock as voyagers sat tight futile for the understudies to scatter for them to proceed with their trip.

A defensively covered faculty bearer that was moving near the foundation to guarantee that quiet returned was additionally caught in the activity.

It was assembled that the understudies had turned out from their lodgings at around 4.30am to express their grievances over the position of the UNIPORT administration to prevent them from taking their first semester examinations as a result of non-installment of the expenses.

It was assembled that the UNIPORT administration had outlined an approach that ceased understudies, who had yet to pay their school expenses, from taking their exams.

Influenced understudies, as indicated by a source, will likewise be made to continue the courses.

Be that as it may, the dissenting understudies portrayed the approach as a type of exploitation, including that the decreasing economy of the country was influencing them as they were not able pay their charges quickly.

One of the bulletins of the dissenting understudies read, 'Say No to No School Fees, No Examinations.'

"We have begged the administration of our school on a few events to augment the due date for the installment of the school expenses to second semester, yet they can't.

"We will lean toward the school to be closed down until the administration acknowledges our position on this matter. We are going to proceed with our challenge until the bad habit chancellor descends here to address us," one of the pioneers of the nonconformists said.

Another dissident, the President, Edo State Students in UNIPORT, Mr. Andrew Osose, said, "… We are doing this on account of the monetary emergency, which the nation is into. There are understudies whose folks simply lost their employments. There are those whose folks have not been paid compensations for a considerable length of time by the administration. How might they have the capacity to pay? We know the way of our economy now; how might understudies get together to pay?

"A large portion of the teachers in the senate that are making this approach did not go to class with their own cash. They didn't originate from rich foundation, yet they have all overlooked their root. They need the understudies to pay by flame by power."

Responding, the Deputy Registrar, Information of UNIPORT, Dr. William Wodi, clarified that the dissent was not about expansion in expenses, but rather around a couple of understudies, who needed to take exams without paying the N45,000 school charge.

Wodi said that while 98 for each penny of understudies had paid and prepared to sit for the exams, the two for each penny remaining declined to pay, even subsequent to broadening the due date on five events.

Keeping up that the expense was not new to the understudies, Wodi included that the prompt past organization had coordinated that no college ought to charge past N45,000 as expense.

The UNIPORT representative, who said the main semester examination for the 2015/2016 scholastic session would no more start on Monday (yesterday) as booked, cautioned that the individuals who neglected to pay their expenses would convey their courses over.

"We have kept on developing the due date for the installment of the expenses. The due date was initially moved from February 12, 2016 to March 11 and to March 30.

"We moved it again from March 30 to April fifth and now to April seventh and we said we are no more moving it further. In any case, they are stating that the economy is hard," he said.

"… We are not removing understudies; we are just saying that the individuals who neglect to pay won't be a piece of the exam and they are conveying the course over," he included.

In the interim, the Senate of the college has closed down the foundation with quick impact.

Wodi, who made this declaration through an instant message sent to one of our reporters on Monday said, "Senate has closed down the college with quick impact.

"The sum total of what understudies have been coordinated to empty their inn convenience before 6pm today (Monday). Understudies' union and all their associate bodies have been suspended with quick impact. The conclusion will keep going for one month."