Some clinical AE-FUNAI students under the auspices of 400A and 400B set of Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi have condemned the ‘multiple payment of fees in one class’ policy of the federal university.
AE-FUNAI, founded in 2011, boasts 13 faculties, 50 departments, 58 academic programmes and a college of Medical Sciences as well as a School of Postgraduate Studies. The school in a memo obtained by our reporter had directed Dean of Students Affairs and lecturers to ensure that students who default in the payment of fees (tuition and accommodation) are denied access to the hostels and classrooms/clinics – a development that the aggrieved students kicked against.
What informed the directive
The school management had in September 2023, revealed about 1,106 students (comprising Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences and Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences) are still indebted to the University to the tune of N71,642,100 and N99,678,200, respectively. The school management further added that the students must pay the outstanding fees regardless of the number of years spent on a programme.
The aggrieved AE-FUNAI students, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the school management, insisting that paying multiple times in one class is challenging for them.
One of the affected students who did not want to be mentioned, urged the management to look into the matter and find a lasting solution to it.
“We are calling on the school management of AE-FUNAI to look into these outrageous fees. We have also done research regarding the fees payable by Medical schools in the South-south and South-east zones, as well as by the new Federal and State-owned Medical schools in the country. Our findings are; the other charges and hostel fees in other medical schools are not as exorbitant as that which applies to us, and the hostel stay is optional.
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“Following these developments and the outrageous amount of fees paid by the medical students, a peaceful protest was staged on Tuesday, 10th October, 2023 at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI) main campus. The demands of the students were read to the management upon arrival of the peaceful protesters at the university senate building.
“In an era where the medical sector in Nigeria is suffering a lot of migration by medical practitioners, the medical students are the hope and should therefore be adequately encouraged and catered for. The amount of love and attention the we will receive in this time of need will also be a driving force to render services upon the completion of our programme,” the source disclosed.
Similarly, the AE-FUNAI students in a petition cited by Parallel Facts urged the school management to look into their plight.
“We humbly request that the decree of multiple payment of fees in one class by the clinical medical students of AEFUNAI is addressed.
“We request that the exorbitant fees paid by the medical students be considered and that it will be brought down to an affordable rate.
“We also request that the hostel fees be brought down to the initial price of N70,000 and that the school hostels be made optional,” the petition read.
Parallel Facts understands the aggrieved students have been in the school since the 2017/2018 academic session, with their hope of writing their third MB now in dilemma as the school management insist all fees must be paid before indexing. #AE-FUNAI