Some students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) Awka, Anambra State, are currently in a pensive mood due to their inability to pay their school fees before the July 23rd deadline set by the university’s management, under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone.

The Acting Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit for the university, Chika G. Ene, issued a notice stating, “The Vice-Chancellor has graciously approved the final extension for the payment of school charges to Sunday 23rd July 2023.

“This is the second and final extension for the payment of the school charges. Students are advised to make payment promptly so they can be able to register for courses for the upcoming examinations,” the notice said.

However, some of the students who could not meet the deadline are worried about what they perceive as the insensitivity of the school management to the current economic reality in Nigeria.

Speaking on the ground of anonymity, some students expressed their concerns, stating that they cannot even concentrate to prepare for their examinations as their fate is hanging in the balance.

“It is not that we don’t want to pay the school charges, we have always been paying. Some of us were even paying immediately after we resumed holidays, but things are hard for our parents at the moment.

“We want the school authorities to give our parents some time to rally around for the money to pay the charges. It was announced at a certain time that any student who didn’t pay at the expiration of the final extension would pay a fine of twenty-five thousand Naira (N25,000). This is harsh and inconsiderate on the part of the management,” he said.

The students appealed for more understanding on the part of the management and asked for an indefinite suspension of the deadline for payment due to the current economic crunch many Nigerians are facing at the moment.

They also criticized the leadership of the Students Union Government (SUG) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, for not adequately protecting the interests of the students and instead aligning themselves with the school authority.

“We are aware of what the SUG of other schools are doing towards the protection of the interest of their students, but at NAU, we are on our own,” the students lamented. (Nigerian Tribune)

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