Kelechi Kas
Andrew Efemini, a Professor of developmental Philosophy in Faculty of Humanities at the University of Port Harcourt has accused the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Ndowa Lale, of increasing school fees for undergraduates illegally.
Efemini of the Department of Philosophy also called for the immediate removal of Prof Lale as the Vice-Chancellor of the institution for what he termed “criminally misleading the senate by not providing an approved schedule of fees in federal universities to distinguished members”.
In a petition he addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt and made available to theportcitynews, Efemini noted that the national fee schedule states that the recommended fees for all levels of students should be a maximum of forty-five thousand Naira only (N45,000).
According to the petition: “The directive is that students who are coming into the university should be charged fees not exceeding N45,000 all-inclusive. The circular warned against the collection of acceptance fees. But Prof Lale collected N30,000 as acceptance fee from each incoming student”
“Under Prof Lale’s watch, first-year students are charged approximately one hundred and twenty-eight thousand Naira (N128,000) excluding non-statutory charges at the various faculties and departments.
“Due to Prof Lale’s criminal concealment, Senate and Council have taken decisions to enforce illegal fees on unsuspecting parents and students with very damaging consequences.
“The implication of the excess charges on 1st-year students is that the Senate was misled into forcing 2nd year and 3rd-year students to repeat their classes for inability to pay their fees when the draconian Vice-Chancellor has collected such fees in their first year.
“Prof Lale must urgently be removed as investigations into how much was collected and what he did with these illegal collections are carried out.”
Efemini in his petition also accused Prof Lale of “criminal and deliberate violation of the University Act, abuse of the university law and installing his stooges and surrogates as members of the university governing body.
He noted that: “Armed with his surrogates and cronies; Prof Okey Onuchukwu, Prof Antonia Okerengwu, Prof Femi Shaka and Prof Henry Alapiki, the vice-chancellor proceeded to unleash terror on all dissenting voices. Prof Frank Uguimoh and I suffered from the ruthless abuse of office by Prof Lale and his illegal internal council members.
“Pro-Chancellor Sir, it is obvious that Prof Lale must be urgently removed from office and investigated to save the university from further high handedness and damage”.
Calls to the University for comments were not responded to. It was also gathered that the leadership of the Students’ Union Government is threatening a showdown with the University management over the development.
Recall that about 2000 students of the University are in court with the university over the failure of the university to mobilize them for National Youth Service due to their inability to pay school fees.
The federal high court in Port Harcourt ordered the university to mobilize them for National Youth Service and also compensate them but the university appealed the decision of the high court.
