Students to resume after school closure, but on one condition

fuad lawal

April 24, 2017 12:12 PM

They have to pay a levy of N12,500 before they can set foot in school.

Two months after the Federal University of Technology Owerri was closed by the school authorities, the gates are open again for activities.

In case you missed it, students of FUTO have had to sit idle at home for the past two months because the school authorities shut down all activities in the school.

Why? Student unrest. On February 17, 2017, students protested alleged increments in school fees, course registrations, Internet and hostel fees, and generally everything the school management was charging them for.

The protest seemed to be going on peacefully, until some students allegedly took to destroying school buildings, like the Senate building, the ICT centre, and even the Diamond Bank branch in the school premises.

And it was at that point the authorities knew they had had enough. So even though 1st semester exams of the 2016/2017 session was ongoing, they ordered an immediate and indefinite closure of the school.

But there's one condition to re-enter the school.

Every undergraduate must pay a levy of N12,500 for damages and a notarised undertaking to be of good behaviour.

We know this because the Registrar of the University, John Nnabuihe, said so in a statement announcing the reopening of the school.

Also, exams will continue exactly three weeks from the date of resumption. This statement did not make mention whether the school will look into the grievances of the students.

fuad lawal