20th November, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Following protests by non-Rivers State students in Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, Prof. Blessing Didia, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution, has denied introducing any discriminatory fees but implementing what he inherited.
Prof. Didia challenged the non-Rivers students to show proof that RSUST charges the highest school fees for non-indigenous students in comparison to other similar State-owned universities in the country.
He condemned the protest on Wednesday at the campus of the university over discriminatory tuition fees slammed on a set of students by the management of the institution as against their Rivers counterparts, saying the students want to bring the new management into disrepute.
Prof.Didia dismissed the protest as ill-conceived after holding a closed door meeting with the representatives of non-Rivers State students of the institution.
According to the protesting students, while indigenes students are charged N17,000, non-Rivers students were charged N81,000.
“Where are we going to get the money? Are we not Nigerians? During electioneering campaigns the Governor, Nyesom Wike, assured that nobody would be discriminated against based on state of origin. We paid a flat rate N17,000 but today we(non indigenes) are being forced to pay N81,000.This is unfair and unjust. The Government should come to our aid.”
They recalled that during the administration of Professor Barineme Fakae as Vice-Chancellor, former Governor Chibuike Amaechi directed there should be no discrimination against non-Rivers in the payment of tuition fees.
A student who gave his name as Nmadu from one of neighbouring sates, lamented that he was born in Rivers state, had his Primary and Secondary education in Rivers, adding
that it was regrettable that despite that his parents have been residing in Port Harcourt for over 35 years, he being discriminated against on grounds of state of birth by a citadel of learning wholly owned by the Rivers state government under the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike who pledged that the state government under his stewardship will not discriminate against anybody no matter his state of oigin, religion or creed.
Former Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had directed all students of RSUST to will pay the same amount of school fees.
The former Governor who gave the directive during an interactive secession, on Monday 24 November, 2014, said all students of the university should pay the same amount for tuition whether they were indigenes of Rivers State or not.
Amaechi directed school management to ensure the directive was adhered to.
“Anybody in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology is an indigene,” he said. “All of us are Nigerians.”
He also directed the Secretary to the State Government, George Feyii, to prepare a letter to the state university to that effect.
“The reason why I made that statement, and I am going to back it up with a letter, is that we are all Nigerians. And so from today, no more discrimination in school fees,” Amaechi said.
Amaechi who was a week ago appointed the Minister of Transport by President Muhammadu Buhari, called on the school authority to allow students register their courses and pay later for those whose fees were not readily available at the time of registration, in order not to deprive them of studying with their classmates.
According to Amaechi, “My personal view is, because of the current economic situation, any student who has money to pay (for school fees), let him pay.The ones that don’t have money yet, let them register, and during exams, you collect your money.”
Reacting Samuel Nwanosike, chieftain of the Rivers State Peoples Democratic People, PDP,
and Chairman Caretaker Committee of Ikwerre local Government council dismissed the allegation that Governor Nyesom Wike is a hater of non-Rivers people that was why he directed the discriminatory schools.
“Former Governor Chibuike Amaechi merely deceived Rivers people when he made announcement at peak of election. The new Vice-Chancellor of RSUST Professor Blessing Didia,
is only implementing what is on ground.”
Nwanosike, also Assistant Publicity Secretary of PDP,dismissed allegation by APC
that Governor Wike is destroying the legacies of Amaechi.
“Governor Wike has been completing projects abandoned by Amaechi’s administration.
At the time of this report the University authority had not responded to inquiries on the issue.