There was commotion on Monday in Port Harcourt, as students of the University of Port Harcourt protest hike in school fees.

Thousands of the aggrieved students protested against what they call the unjustified increase in tuition and other charges.

They laid siege on the school premises, blocking the Choba end of East-West Road in the Rivers State capital and stopping any academic activities from taking place in the university.

According to them, the school authorities are insensitive to their plight and vowed to intensify their protests until the management of the school responds to their demands.

Meanwhile, the Dean of Student Affairs of the university, Otto Ekpenyung, who was only available to speak to Channels Television on the phone said he was trying to handle a flash point at the time of that.

He promised he would speak later on the issue.

Security agencies were also seen positioned to check the situation from getting out of hand.

In a related development, protesting students of Benue State University in Makurdi today shut down the university campus and the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway over a 100% school fee increment for new entrants.

The President of the Student Union Government, Mr Ojime Martins, told Channels Television that the increment from 62,000 Naira to over 130,000 Naira for law students was outrageous.

The students are demanding for a reversal to the old school fees.

The protest began from shutting down the school gate, but later spilled into the highway where vehicles were denied access for about 30 minutes before officials of the Nigerian Police Force stepped in to clear the protesting students from the highway in peaceful dialogue.

After hours of protest by the students and a siege on the university gate, the university management arrived at the scene on the other side of the gate far away from the protesting students for dialogue.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of administration, Professor Julius Ashikor, pleaded with the students to have a talk with the schools management, but some of the students refused the university’s offer, siting instances of sell out by their leaders.

He expressed hopes that an agreement would be reached at the meeting.

While the police were able to clear the federal highway for free flow of traffic, the siege on the school’s gate continued.

•Pieced together from separate reports by Channels TV. File photo shows protesting varsity students.

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