The Enugu state-owned school has been redundant for years, thereby losing its original mandate of blazing the trail in scientific innovations and technological advancement.
The students of the Enugu States University of Science and Technology are planning to embark on a protest on Tuesday except the state government yields to their demands.
According to a student of the school who spoke to SaharaReporters on Monday, the protest is to back up the demands made by the Students' Union Governments after their meeting last Tuesday.
According to the source, the Enugu state-owned school has been redundant for years, thereby losing its original mandate of blazing the trail in scientific innovations and technological advancement in the South-East region.
“A school that’s supposed to stand out, being the only technological school in the South-East is struggling not to be the worst.
“Its mission is to promote scholarship, especially in the areas of science, management, and technology, thereby ensuring the development of quality manpower that will utilise technology for the service of society.
“Rather, what has been the case is the opposite as the school tries to steal from the students in the name of exorbitant school fees, stealing their joy in the process,” the source said.
In the statement made available to SaharaReporters, the students are asking the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led administration to look into their 9-point demands to avert the protest.
“The resolutions reached by the Students' Union Government with regards to the current situation and concern bordering on the welfare of the students. Solidarity greetings in the spirit of Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta!!!
“A meeting of the student leaders was held on Tuesday, 8th June 2021, and here are the resolutions and stand of the Students' Union Government on behalf of the entire students of ESUT.
“The one-month deadline for course registration with the attached penalty fee is not acceptable to the students. The portal should be open till one week before the examination. The N1, 000 penalty fee for late course registration should be discontinued. The N300 fee charged for adding or removing any course should be scrapped.
“That the ICT-based in-course assessment of which 40% was allocated for exams is not acceptable by the students. The former method of 30% for in course and 70% for the examination should be maintained.
“That the school ID card which is produced at the price of N2, 500 should be reduced to N1, 500 with immediate effect.
“The matriculation package fee increased from N5, 000 to N15,000 is not student-friendly based on the economic situation, thus; the amount should be reduced to N5, 000 for affordability by the students,” the statement partly read.
Also, in the statement, as signed by Comrade Emmanuel Franklin Chidera, SUG President; Rt. Hon. Comrade Anioba Frank, SUG Speaker; Hon. Comrade Benignus Okenwani, SUG Chief Judge; Comrade Ezeh Sunday, Secretary-General; and Comrade Eriboraku Oluchi, SUG Public Relations Officer, the students were against the reallocation of hostel provisions in the school.
“That the payment of development levy by other departments rather than law and medicine should be removed. That the management should regulate the conduct of lecturers on selling compulsory textbooks as all textbooks should be optional and sold at the school bookshop at a definite price.
“The attention of the Students' Union Government has been drawn to the recent plan to reshuffle the hostel arrangements, therefore, the Students' Union Government demands that the NOCA hostel should continue to host both males and females while others can serve as a female hostel exclusively. And that the hostel generator should be used to supply light to the students at the appropriate time and water pumped.
“With regards to the issues aforementioned and resolutions arrived at, the Students' Union Government stands to demand that the school management should address its issues and intended policies within 48 hours of the submission of this resolution,” the statement read.