Many students believe the decision of
students represented by the Student Union
Government, led by Com. Abel Nnok Ndu to
boycott exams and go on PEACEFUL protests
seeking for reduction in school charges was
miscalculated and totally wrong in purpose
and timing. For very obvious reasons, the
final year students especially, are the most
pained by this action and no doubt, the most
hit. BUT WAS IT WORTH IT?
First, on the premise that the purpose of the
boycott and protest was not justified, I beg
you to if you are a UNIJOS student, look at
your last school fees receipt and go through
it again. Beginning with the notorious
University Development Levy of N10,000.00;
is there any justification for such charges
considering several months of our lives that
were wasted by the strike by our lecturers
which produced very lofty grants to
universities including University of Jos? Prof.
Tyoden who introduced that levy claimed it
was because of lack of funds from the
Federal Government who own the school.
The current administration also adopted the
same excuse when it came onboard. You and
I know however know that neither Tyoden
nor the present VC has utilized any of those
funds. Yes, some developments are going in
the school’s permanent site but a closer look
at the wooden posts besides those buildings
will show you that they are TETFUND
projects. Even if they are not, I think it is no
longer plausible that you charge students
fees to develop the schools that admittedly,
the Federal Government is now taking good
care of. Let us not forget that last year during
the ASUU strike, the body of Vice Chancellors
had in a meeting calling on ASUU to call off
their action, said the Federal Government has
done its best in the funding of the
Universities. I then ask why bother poor
students further with the development levy?
Other unjustifiable charges that you and I
pay include Security Levy: I thought it was
the duty of my government to protect me
and I must not pay for it. How has the
security in the university improved since the
payment of this so called ‘Security Levy’?
There is also the Computer Based Tests fee of
a whooping N2, 000.00. I only used those
things in my 200 level when they were
introduced for our GSTs. Two years after, I
am still paying for computer-based tests
when I do not have any business with their
death trap computers. Funny enough, even
postgraduate students are also charged for
computer-based tests. This charge is aside
the ICT levy of N4, 000.00. We also pay SUG
and departmental dues to the school, who do
not remit it to the unions and as a result, the
SUG and the different faculty and
departmental unions make us pay again.
There is also the issue of acceptance fee of
an elephantine N25, 000.00- two times
higher than the school fess of other federal
universities in Nigeria.
So again, I ask, should students protest to
demand the reduction/removal of this
absurd charges?
I strongly believe we were justified to have
protested. I believe if I get half of the
services this charges we pay for are meant
for, I may not be complaining as I am now.
However, we do not. We still receive lectures
in dilapidated lecture halls. There is no water
in the hostels. Our toilets are cholera harvest
fields. The roads in P-SITE is a dead trap even
for students trekking. Our cafeterias barely
have up to 20 seats that can take light weigh
fellows like myself. The lists goes on.
I join the SUG in saying NO to further charges
that only end up in people’s pockets and not
the growth of the only 2nd Republic
University still toddling when its mates and
far juniors are running.
The second question is whether the protest
should have come now, putting into view the
scheduled exams and the need to catch up
with other schools who are already on break.
It is the view of students who were and still
are opposed to the protest that we should
have waited until after the exams or
resumption of the new session. After all, ‘we
can always protest for a reduction in school
fees. It need not be now.’
I stand by the SUG and other students to say
it had to be now. Students wanted a
negotiation, which the school was not willing
to have. Rather we had a VC who gladly said
he would not negotiate with ‘rascals’. In such
a situation, it is good that one knows his
bargaining chip and use it well. Our only
bargaining chip was the exams. The VC
wants us to write the exam so bad that he
will not want it compromised. The SUG rightly
used this chip. Should they have agreed with
the promise of continued negotiations after
the exams? I think not. The school
management will have ignored them as they
always did and after which time, every
student will accuse our able Abel of being
another ‘Hitler’ who has sold out to
management.
Also, waiting till next session will have been a
wasted effort as before resumption, the
school will ask students to start paying their
fees, and knowing UNIJOS students, we’ll pay
immediately, hence closing every door to a
possible reduction or reversal. The school will
again throw to our face the ‘gestful’ excuse
that they cannot reduce the fees because all
the students have paid the fees. Not to forget
the fact that the acceptance fees, as high as
that of the Nigerian law School, which is
sought to be reduced, will have been paid by
the new students if nothing is done before
the end of our exams.
I strongly believe therefore that it was either
now or never.
If you know me, you will know that I am a
‘book-guy’, always wanting to write my
exams and be done with school as soon as
possible. However, I proudly stand to say
that this protest and boycott of exams was
justified and timeous.
Of course, like every struggle, it came with its
consequences, painful as they are. Sadly, the
struggle was sabotaged and compromised
by some very minute section of students
who decided to the detriment of the struggle,
to be unruly and met the reaction of trigger-
happy soldiers who had hitherto appeared to
be there for the protection of the student.
This provided the management the
opportunity it wanted to shut down the
school. If not for anything, at least students
are now scattered and can no longer gather
to tell the world the injustice going on. The
school can also go ahead to collect the
exorbitant acceptance fees from new
students as they wish.
My apologies and sympathy to all who were
injured because of today’s protest. Also,
apologies to final year students who just got
extra week(s) to their stay in UNIJOS.
Nevertheless, I strongly believe the fight was
worth it, and given another opportunity, I
will support this struggle again until it is won.
ALUTA CONTINUA… VICTORIA ASCERTA

Infact our security agents test their strengths only on armless civilians bt cannot face bokoharams.
This corrupt practices need to stop.
Armies were used to force students out of their hostels as if there crises. This administration is full of killings of innocent citizens by security men with impunity. What a lawless country like ours!
The VC needs to resign,he schooled based on scholarship.
Aluta continua,Victoria acerta!