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By Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Professor Francisca Bassey, Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Cross River (UNICROSS), says student fees have not gone up in the last ten years.
She shared this in a phone call while responding to a student protest over fee payments. Bassey stressed that even with Nigeria’s rising inflation, fees have stayed the same.
“There is no increment; it’s a lie. Check across the board what they are paying; indigenes, who are the majority, are paying about 70,000 school fees for 10 years,” she said.
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“The fees, which are less than 7,000 per month for indigent students, our charges are about 72,000, which is 6,600 per month. Look at the rate of inflation, which is over 300%. Ten years ago, how much were fuel, rice, a ream of paper, ink, a pen, and diesel? So let’s face it, how much was the NEPA bill then and now? We have not increased our fees,” she added.
Despite higher costs to run the school, Bassey said management is working with unions to avoid strikes over allowances. They’ve also fixed hostels, added water systems, and met basic needs for accreditation. All they ask is for students to pay their fees.
On the protest, she said talks with the students worked. They now agree with management and will pay up.
