By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, has slashed the school fees of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) students.

According to Umahi, the reduction is to assist parents to pay the school fees and prevent students from dropping out of school.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

He said: “Ebonyi State Government is aware of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the world economies of which Ebonyi State is highly affected.

“We know that the finances of our people are highly affected which will in effect, affect the education of our children.”

Ugbala said that to lessen the burdens on parents especially in catering for the students of Ebonyi State University and encourage more students to go to university, the Governor has effective 2020/2021 academic sessions reduced the school fees of Ebonyi State University from year 1 to 5th year.

“All non-indigenes of Ebonyi State University School fees are reduced by Ten Thousand Naira (#10,000.00) per student.

“All indigenes of Ebonyi State in Ebonyi State University school fees reduced by Twenty Thousand Naira (#20, 000.00) per student,” he said.

Ugbala said the amount will be aggregated and paid directly to Ebonyi State University management sometime in 2021

He further noted that the state government had last week released all monthly subventions owed to Ebonyi State University and additional N200 million salary intervention fund.

He said the total money released to the university management to assist it in offsetting staff salary is over N500 million.

“This sacrifice will be affecting some other government programmes like infrastructure development and provision of medical services in the state as they have become opportunity cost,” he said.

Ụgbala also advised the youth to start the process of registering themselves to benefit from the #ENDSARS Empowerment fund which will be launched in November 2020.