By Timothy Nwobodo, Ruth Ani, Onyekachi Agu and Chikeleze Emmanuel, Agbani

Ahead of the commencement of 2024/2025 academic session in ESUT, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie spoke in an exclusive interview with ESUT Monitor concerning the apprehension on whether or not there would be increase in school fees in the new academic session in the university

The 2024/2025 academic session in the university will begin from October 8. Both students and parents have been wondering what the new session would hold in stuck for them with regards to adjustment in school fees.

It could be recalled that ESUT Monitor did a story few days ago on the likelihood of an upward review of the existing school fees as paid by students in view of growing economic parameters which made such increment totally not unexpected.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our team of reporters in his office on Wednesday, the Vice-Chancellor said said that he is sensitive to the plight of the parents who will bear the burden if the adjustment is effected.

He first of all sort to know if the current amount being paid by students is enough to service them for the full session of an academic year

“Let me ask you, as students, do you think the ₦124, 900 you pay currently is enough to take care of your academic needs in the university in a session?”, the VC retorted when asked if there would be increase in school fees in the new session.

“If we want to tell ourselves the truth, the answer is no. We are aware that it is not enough but the parents are at the receiving end. The people paying it are not finding it easy at all.

“So how do we now come to a meeting point? It is very difficult. We are sensitive to the plight of everybody because I am a parent. My children are at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, I know how much I spend there. The same people who are now buying a bag of rice at ₦80, 000, where will they get the money to be meeting your personal and academic needs?

“We are taking all this into consideration and that is why it is a difficult decision. In fact, when the government directed us to increase school fees before the 2023/2024 academic session, I appeared to have disobeyed because I was already feeling the impact. Now I don’t know the directive that would be coming. We are just administrators, if there is a directive, you have little chance of resisting second time. “I have probably manoeuvred the first one, I wouldn’t know what would happen next. But you have to place all your cards on the table and we will keep on discussing the matter because we are aware that parents are suffering. If there is a directive, we may come back again to discuss.

“If it is something that is marginal, we can say ‘okay’ but if it is not marginal, then, we will begin to look at possibilities. However, we have not received any directives but there are possibilities,” he concluded.

On the recent new minimum wage of ₦70, 000 signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Vice-Chancellor said the new wage will stretch the university wage bill adding that he is already thinking about it.  

“Now we are talking about the new minimum wage for workers which will impact on the wage bill. How are they planning for the gap that will be created with the implementation? That is what is giving me grey hair. I am thinking beyond today, the likely thing that will happen.”