Federal University Ndufu Alike ikwo, is one of the nine federal universities built by GEJ.

Students including finalist were stopped from writing exams for the first time since the creation of the school.


ATTENTION FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

ATTENTION VICE - CHANCELLOR AE-FUNAI

ATTENTION DEAN STUDENT AFFAIRS AE-FUNAI

ATTENTION CHAIRMAN FUNAI PARENTS FORUM AE-FUNAI

ATTENTION PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY (AE-FUNAI)

ATTENTION EBONYI STATE GOVERNMENT

ATTENTION AE-FUNAI SUG PRESIDENT

ATTENTION AE-FUNAI SUG PRESIDENT ELECT

ATTENTION NANS PRESIDENT

ATTENTION NANS ZONE B COORDINATOR

ATTENTION NANS ZONE B DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ATTENTION NANS/JCC CHAIRMAN EBONYI STATE

ATTENTION CITIZENS OF NIGERIA WHO BELIEVE IN FAIR TREATMENT TO AND FOR ALL

RE: AE-FUNAI SCHOOL FEES POLICY AND THE FATE OF INDIGENT AE-FUNAI STUDENTS

Preamble

The Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo is one of the 9 Federal Universities established by the Goodluck Jonathan Led administration in 2011.
The young institution and her Students have faced numerous challenges in various areas.
From Limited Finance to Security down to the outrageous price commonest commodity, AE-FUNAI since its inception and operation in 2012 like the proverbial Camel, has been saddled up at one time or the other in extremely difficult situations which could be likened to the Eye of the Needle the most recent being the Security fee saga which sought and still seeks to wreck and render the students and their sponsors Bankrupt.

Matters Arising
First it was the levying of 2000 naira on all students. On inquiry, it was however clarified that the levy was a collective agreement by Parents (I wonder where these parents gathered) who sought to assist the University in provision of seats as it was obvious from investigation carried out that Students sat on blocks to take Their Lectures due to the lack of seats in the University Lecture Halls.
Seeing that a lot of Students complied, the University Management under the Leadership of Prof Chinedum Nwajiba thought it wise to further consolidate on the introduction of the FUNAI PARENTS FORUM (referred to as FPF afternow) , a creation which its relationship with FUNAI students until recently was cordial in the sense that the FPF suddenly developed 'Vapireristic' abilities which it deployed in levying 50,000 and 5000 naira on Year one and Returning students Respectively as Security Levy.
When the Student Leadership in AE-FUNAI Under Comrade Prince Dave Franky Okafor took up the issue to seek a redress, readjustment and relapse of the security levy policy, the University Management deployed both known and Unknown means to render their efforts null and void.

That Achieved, the University Management went ahead to introduce and enforce the 'No school fees No Exam Policy' , a Draconian Policy which successfully disqualified Final Year Students from writing their Exams irrespective of the Reasons why they've were unable to pay the specified fee for the session.
Imagine a situation where our poor students have struggled for 3 long donkey years only to be made to miss their final year exams.
Now this is an automatic Carryover. Implicatorily, Extra year stares such affected students right in the face.
One is now left to ask if the measure taken by the University was the best option?

Does the University Management not know that the same way it is Crying for money due to the Economic Hardship which pervades the country currently is also the same way FUNAI STUDENTS AND THEIR SPONSORS are affected?

Does the University Management not know that a good number of The students are self sponsored?

Having stated the above, I want to state it here and now that if nothing is done , what affected the final year students is sure to affect students in other levels in their exams scheduled to start in two weeks time.
As a matter of fact, 100l level students who are yet to pay the 50000 naira security fee are yet to been given Matriculation Numbers. By implication, such students will not be allowed to to write exams since they've not registered their courses despite having paid other charges approved by the University.

The Way Forward and Recommendations
We appreciate the Vice Chancellor and his Team for their efforts towards the development of the University.
However, In as much we understand the usefulness of the Security fee, we also want to make it clear that it should not in any way prevent any student who is who has paid other approved charges from writing his or her exams

The entirety of FUNAI students should be allowed to sit for their exams however, the result of students yet too register their courses for the semester should be withheld until such students have duly registered the required courses.

The President of AE-FUNAI SUG should be adopted as a member of the FUNAI PARENTS FORUM. This will help him advocate for students as well as help reshape policy decisions at the policy planning stage prior to its implementation

Finally, a reduction of the 50000 naira security fee by not less than 40% should be considered as the sum is wholly outrageous and connotes exploitation.

YOURS TRULY
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